Not So Normal
by biteoutoflife
Summary: High school wasn't what Max expected by a long shot. Detention, boys, and learning have nothing on what happens next in her dull life. She believes she's losing her mind, but she finds out she's not alone in her fight to save the world. FAX!
1. Unwelcome Visitor

**Chapter 1 – Unwelcome Visitor**

For normal teenagers, the first day of high school was a big event in their life. You know, you have your outfit picked out a week ahead of time and you spend an hour on doing your hair alone. And don't even get me started on makeup. I don't understand the hype. I mean, instead of going to a school full of fish (get it? School of fish, oh never mind), you are going to a bigger ocean full of sharks. Everyone's thirsting for blood, especially the blood of weak and innocent freshmen. The first year is basically a year of torture, so why was it so important?

For me, I would be lucky to show up in something that wasn't covered in feces. Yeah, you read me right – crap. Horse crap to be specific.

I live on a humble farm, 50 acres for running around, playing games, but mostly work. Every morning I had to get up at 5 AM – even on the _most important day of my life, _stupid preppy girls for believing that – and do the morning chores. Don't even get me started on the evening ones. At least I wasn't alone in this; my half-sister Ella and I usually double team to make work go by quicker, but we still aren't done until about 7:30.

"Ella, rise and shine." I paused to bang my fist on the door. "It's five AM." From the other side I heard some incoherent muttering and the sleepy shuffle of feet.

Ella emerged, one hand lazily rubbing at her eyes, her brown hair in a tangled mess. "Mornin'," I said, and she responded with an annoyed grunt. She passed me in the hallway and hobbled into the bathroom. She emerged five minutes later.

"Ready?" I asked her.

"Yeah, but I'm so tired," she griped. "I wish we wouldn't have to do chores on school days, especially the _first day of school_."

I laughed. "Well maybe it would be easier if you wouldn't be up until 1 AM talking to your friends. I mean seriously, don't they have a bedtime or something?" She shot me a glare, and I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, we're already behind."

We filed downstairs and marched out the back door like two solemn soldiers facing a battle against hundreds of restless troops – those being the animals. I headed toward the stalls while Ella went to the sheep pen. The morning was chilly, but no wind blew which I was grateful for. The sky was an overcast dull gray, the ground sinking with each of my footsteps while the grass sparkled with drops of rain, like billions of stars among the sky. It was a bright spot on this dreary morning, almost like a sign. Jeez, I had no idea I was this poetic.

The horse stalls were only a few meters from the barn that we called home. The brown structure was two stories tall, huge sliding doors on parallel sides of the walls. We housed horses for the locals and we owned three of our own. The owners had to groom their horses and muck the stalls, but we still had the responsibility of feeding them. It wasn't fun feeding grumpy horses, especially after they have been cooped up a small space for a long time. Again, it wasn't my responsibility to exercise the horses that weren't ours.

We were low on feed, so I trudged up the steps to the second floor of the stalls where we kept all the extra supplies. I picked out a new bag and maneuvered down the steps carefully. Thanks to hauling heavy bags like this for a long time, I'm stronger than the average fourteen-year-old girl. Physically, I was taller than most of them too, even taller than some guys which freaked them out. I was about 5'8" and extremely thin, not anorexic-thin where all my bones showed, but healthy looking. What can I say? Working on the barn has kicked up my metabolism. My hair also held the signs of a work girl – it is a light brown with sun-streaked blond highlights that hung limply down my back. It had never been styled, so I usually kept it in a braid so it wouldn't fly in my face, which I found annoying.

I went through each stall, filling troughs with oats and hay. Most of the horses ignored me, except for one who I felt was looking straight through me. I felt myself smile involuntarily. "Hey, Gale," I said to my horse. I'd named her that after the first time I rode her; it felt like I was traveling through a storm with how fast she ran. She whinnied and nuzzled her furry nose against the palm of my hand, causing me to laugh. She was a giant teddy bear. I hugged her large neck. "This is supposed to be a big day," I said to her. "Yet it doesn't feel that important. It's just like every other first day of school: annoying, unwanted, unavoidable. Oh well, time to suffer through it. Wish me luck." She sneezed. I patted her once more before I left.

The sun now peaked over the edge of the horizon. Orange oozed in the east, coalescing with the gray to turn to overlying purple. I walked the dirt path west of the stable toward "The Pen" – 10 acres filled with sheep and a scanty amount of cattle. It was enclosed by a brown picket fence. Our dog, an Australian Shepherd named Savannah, along with Ella corralled The Pen's inhabitants into a separate fenced-in area where we kept their troughs. Their work wasn't easy, especially since they were dealing with such stupid animals, but someone had to do it. I poured the feed into their appropriate dishes and ran a hose into the buckets.

When they finished wrangling the animals, Ella and I went through the rest of the chores together. After we completed them, it was time to retire and get ready for school. Ugh.

"I can't decide if I should wear a skirt or shorts," Ella said as she went through her dresser. She held out a denim mini skirt and plaid shorts in her hands and looked at them as if she was vacillating between diamond earrings or a gold necklace. Not that either of those were really important to me.

"You're talking to the wrong person," I said impatiently. I was lucky if my clothing matched, let alone if it was fashionable.

"I want to make a good impression, ya know?" I rolled my eyes.

"Just do eeny, meeny, miny, moe. I really don't care."

"Whatever."

I didn't feel like dealing with her anymore, so I walked out of her room. Down the hall Mom noticed me and approached. She was in traditional white lab coat with a pink blouse and brown skirt underneath. It was her power-outfit; she owner her own veterinary practice.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked. She had an apprehensive look on her face, which instantly made me wary.

She smiled uneasily. "Max, are you ready for today?"

"Oh no, please don't give me a 'you're growing up before my eyes speech'." I may not be afraid of much, but that would be downright torture. Nothing is worse than your mother crying.

"No, I'm not going to do that… yet." She laughed, a little carefree which was more like her. "But there _is_ someone downstairs who wants to talk with you."

Oh jeez.

This could _not _be good.

I instantly felt twitchy. There is only one person that ever makes Mom act like that. And it's not because she doesn't like him. It's the way I react to him that makes her anxious.

It was my father, Jeb Batchelder.

I can't really explain why I don't like him. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that every time I see him he sizes me up like I'm one of his patients. He's a doctor, so we receive a nice child support bill from him every month – not that we really need it. Just about the only thing he's good for. When I'm near him my senses go on hyper drive and I want to run away as quickly as possible.

"Now Max," Mom began with a warning in her voice.

"Mom, you did _not_ invite him over here, did you?" I felt my hands shake with rage. I thought she knew me better than that! Did she invite him to take picture of _the big day_? It's like I'm in kindergarten all over again.

She shook her head. "Honey, you know I wouldn't purposely do anything to upset you. Your father came over unannounced; probably because that's the only way he _can_ come over anymore. Whenever he calls you insist that he shouldn't be allowed in this home."

"I don't _insist_, I yell and scream at the top of my lungs."

It was clear that Mom was getting impatient with my immaturity. "He's your father," she said slowly, like all the other times she'd explained it to me. "Just talk to him. What's the worst that can happen?"

I really didn't want to know the answer to that.

**This is not your average "flock is normal" story, so please don't stereotype. It might seem like it for a while, but it isn't. You might be shocked by what's in store (and if something like this has been written before, oh well).**

**Please Review!**


	2. Daddy Say What?

**Chapter 2 – Daddy Say What?**

I used to think that hate was something I only felt when a bigoted teacher would give me detention for "talking back", but I was struck by this emotional typhoon every time I had to meet with my father. For most people who are in my situation – living with a single parent – they are excited whenever they get to see their other parent. It's usually a time for hug exchanging and catching up on missed experiences. When my father, or Jeb as I call him, comes over, I lock myself in my room.

Today I was trying to be a big girl, because it _is_ my first day of high school, so I was going to meet with him.

After Mom pushed me towards the steps, and a minute of hushed argument, I stoically descended towards Jeb. Yup, I'm a natural bravado.

I entered the living room, my eyes scanning the room frantically for means of escape if necessary. I could always use the stairs again, but I was certain Mom was up there to shove me back down if I ran away. A tall, lean figure was standing with his back facing me, examining the wall next to the kitchen. That wasn't a huge surprise, seeing as that's where all our family photos were. He was especially taking interest in one of me from my last horse show taken about a month ago.

"Ahem," I coughed to get his attention.

He turned around with exaggerated slowness, knowing that it annoyed me. I never understood why he always did that, but it was really testing my patience. When he faced me, I couldn't help but see the man I could never think of as my father. He was professional looking, always in his tweed suit that only looked good on a guy with his slim build. Silver-rimmed wire glasses hung low on his nose, and his sandy gray-streaked hair was combed into submission. Although the part that I can never forget are his eyes – the ones that always examined me with some sort of inexplicable fascination, and yet an unimaginable admiration. I didn't understand what Mom ever saw in him when they worked at the same genetics lab together, but I was fortunate that nothing ever came out of that relationship.

Jeb smiled at me affectionately. "Hello, Max. It's been a while."

I didn't smile back, or even frown, but I stood with my arms crossed over my chest glaring at him.

"You've grown so much since the last time I've seen you."

I kept silent.

He sighed; this had been my recent response to his presence. "I know you aren't pleased to see me, but I _am_ your father and we have a lot to discuss."

_Yeah, let's discuss how much I hate you and that I want you to leave now._ I resisted the urge to roll my eyes since that would break my code of silence and lack of emotion.

"There are some important things I think you should know," he continued, acting as if I cared about what he had to say. "A lot is going to change, and your life will never be the same –"

"Please, _please_ let this not be a puberty talk!" I exclaimed with horror. "You may be the doctor, but Mom actually has experience in this department. Besides, I had this talk when I was ten."

"That's not what this is about," he said with patience.

"Well, if you came to say that any guy who gets too close will get beat up, I hate to tell you that these fourteen-year-olds could smack you into next week."

He sighed again, a sound I was used to hearing. "Dating isn't as big of an issue to me when the fate of the world is at stake."

_Say what? Come again?_

"You, Max, were destined for greatness. The maximum, if I must say." He chuckled at his witticism. "You were born to save the world, and we gave you the means to accomplish this." Who's _we_? What the hell is he talking about?

"You're crazy," I said, my heart racing madly. He had to be smoking something; a fourteen-year-old girl can't save the world. I laughed like a mad person. "How can _I_ save the world? How was I 'given the means' to do it? You must have some serious issues. I knew there was a logical reason for why I don't like you."

He seemed disappointed, but also like he expected this reaction. "I can't tell you too much, Max, but everything will become clear. You may not notice, but I already see the potential, what makes you different. No matter what you think or say, you will face this challenge head on. What sets you apart makes you great. Don't fight your nature."

"Okay, so let's say I am going to save the world." I took a few steps backwards toward the staircase, trying to look natural. Let me tell you, that was surprisingly difficult when you're in the same room with your lunatic dad. "How am I supposed to do this? I can't do something like that on my own."

"The opportunity will rise, and you will meet that challenge head on, sort of like the woman you based your last name off of. It may not seem clear at first, but everything around you will remind you of your mission." He paused, mentally calculating something. "And you won't be alone while you do this. There are others that have already entered your life or will in the near future that will join you on your quest."

Despite all his cryptic remarks, there was one thing that was becoming increasingly clear to me. My father, Jeb Batchelder, was clearly insane. Why would fate frown upon me in such a way?

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I can see that you are seriously deranged! I'm not 'special', I don't have a destiny, and I am definitely not saving the world!" I was shouting toward the end, releasing all the anger that had boiled up inside of me at him. "Now get out before I call the police!"

He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry you feel this way now, Max, but I promise you will believe me soon." He walked away from the wall and toward the front door. "Tell your mother and Ella I said 'goodbye'." With that, he was gone. I sighed in relief.

The only grandfather clock in the corner tolled. I had already been up for three hours, but I was probably going to be late for my first day of school. Just peachy, ain't it?

* * *

**I updated soon so that I could keep the story circulating through the archives so more people could read it. Thanks to the two who have reviewed so far!! I'm working a couple chapters in advanced so I can update about every other day, but I have to say that I'm gonna be out of town next week so I might not have time to post anything new or even write in that time. If people review, than I'll try desperately to update while I'm on the road.**

**-biteoutoflife**


	3. Sick Cosmic Joke

**Chapter 3 – Sick Cosmic Joke**

Thanks to my amazing ability to scrounge together an outfit in five seconds, I actually didn't miss the bus. I almost thought that, if I was late, a sequence of horrible and impossible events would occur. Just to add to all the horrible events that had already happened today. Like, there would be monkeys raining down from the heavens, or the sidewalk would turn into quicksand and suck me into the depths of the earth, or –

"You'll probably be meeting tons of cute boys," Ella gushed, sitting with me on the bus. "Maybe you will find someone you like and he'll ask you out."

I groaned. I can't even begin to go through the countless one-way conversations we had about boys. It was one-way because Ella always chatted about them while I listened, getting angrier by the minute. This wasn't one of my particularly favorite subjects.

"I already know all the cute boys in my class," she went on. "And I know none of them are interested in me. Any time I try flirting with them, they only want to talk about baseball or sports cars. I thought guys get over that girls-have-cooties stage in elementary school. Do you think it's because I'm not pretty? Because Jessica has been dating Brad all summer…"

She trailed off as we drove a little too quickly over a pothole, jack hammering and jerking us in different directions. I flew a few inches in the air while Ella almost fell into the aisle.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Ella, the last thing you have to worry about is wondering if a guy thinks you're pretty or not." I could not believe _I_ was giving her a pep talk. Like I had so much experience in this department? "Look at you, you have long chestnut hair, big almond shape eyes, and nicely tanned skin. At least you _look_ like a Hispanic. I don't look like anything."

"That's not true." We hit another pothole and the bus vibrated unsteadily. "I would kill to have your natural blond streaks. And look at how tall you are! Your figure is awesome. If you actually took care of yourself like a girl should, you could be a model."

"Please, they'd pay me to throw a bag on my head and leave."

"You are pretty, Max," a small voice said. I looked up to see a mess of blond curls and fair skin peaking over the black-leather seat in front of me. Big blue eyes innocently stared at me. "Any guy who doesn't think so is stupid."

"It's not nice to say that, Angel," I chided. That was Angel Moore, a six-year-old sweetheart that lived in our neighborhood. Ever since she was little I babysat her and her older brother Gabriel. She was the sweetest, most adorable kid I knew. "You shouldn't call people names, especially saying that they're stupid. What has Gabriel been teaching you?"

She smiled, and I instantly wondered if that was what a cherub looked like. She was too heavenly. "I didn't learn that word from him. Besides, it's true. I'm sure there are tons of boys who would want to date you."

"See, I'm not the only one who thinks so," Ella agreed.

This was like some kind of sick cosmic joke. If there's a God out there that thinks this is funny, I don't. Joke's over, pal, let me go on with my miserable boy-less existence in peace. At least I have the dignity not to dwell on the fact.

"I'm only gonna say this once, and after that I don't want to hear anything else about guys again. Even if by some miracle a guy did like me, after one date he'd be running away screaming by my lack-of-manners and the fact that I could probably punch his lights out if he attempted something stupid. So frankly, I would like to be spared from the humiliation and drama, capiche?"

They nodded sullenly. I knew this wouldn't be the last time I'd hear it, though.

I leaned against the window, taking in the gorgeous surroundings. We weren't in a huge metropolis or a suburb, but this was the only road you could see for miles. Occasional homes popped up in between the green patched of unoccupied land or fields of cornstalks. Tractors slowly rumbled down farmland, breaking up the soil. I spotted an elderly couple picking apples from their orchard. This area was quite peaceful, one of the most beautiful landscapes I'd ever seen in my life with the way the purple mountains loomed like a fortification in the background. Yet it wasn't enough to keep me from zoning out.

My mind wandered to my meeting with Jeb earlier, and I immediately felt very tired. I was sick of putting up with him and the weird way he constantly looked at me. It was reserved for me only; he didn't even look at his son Ari, my half-brother, that way. The next time Mom allows him in our house, I'm locking myself in my room.

The bus came to a sudden stop, lurching everyone forward and making them hold on to their seats for deal life. I swear, as soon as I can, I will _not_ take the bus to school again. Our first stop was Eisenhower Elementary. The smaller kids on the bus filed out to the sidewalk. Angel sat up along with her brother, Gabriel – who was equally blond and pale – and joined the line of excited little children.

"Bye Max," Angel waved. "Have fun at high school!"

I scowled, but tried to smile at her. It turned into a awkward grimace. "Bye, Angel. Enjoy your first day of first grade."

I sat back in my seat and inhaled deeply. The next stop was –

_Gross!_ I sniffed the air again and instantly regretted it. Ella smelled it too and nearly gagged. "Ugh, Gabe, was that you? Ew, that is _not _funny!"

Gabe cackled as he exited the bus. That boy had some serious gas problems. I wondered if his parents ever took him to see a specialist. This just seemed like another perfect event in a perfect day.

Today had barely begun, and I already wish that it was over.

* * *

**Again, I'm posting to keep this circulating. I wouldn't expect a new chapter tomorrow, though. But I will try to post as often as possible. Also, I'm working on a new MR story that I'm calling 'Maximum Ride: Unseen Terror". The name might change though as the story goes on. Please check it out!!**

**5 reviews now. Yah! But I think we can do better than that. Just remember that reviews make me happy, and when I'm happy the story comes faster, which makes everyone else happy. So review for your own sake!**


	4. Max Ride? What Kind of Name is that?

**Chapter 4 – Max Ride? What Kind of Name is that? **

Chester Nimitz High was known state-wide for its prestigious sports programs, rigorous academic courses, and a chess team that went to nationals. If I played my cards right, I could go out with one of the very popular, but highly longed for, nerds by the end of the school year. That might make Ella happy, but I think she'd prefer me coming home with the star quarterback or school president, 'cause you know the chances of that were so likely. Maybe I should be more concerned about boys, if I actually cared to act like a girl, but since I didn't, I hardly ever gave them a thought. I was more concerned about surviving the year without major incident.

The first major hassle of the day was figuring out how to open the lock on my locker. With the town we live in, it's so small that no one ever has a second thought about stealing because the suspects can be narrowed down shortly. However, after a struggle-free time in Middle School, the state made a stupid rule that all schools now had to have security. Now for students like me, I would have to waste the entire time in between periods trying to figure out how to open the dang thing, and when I finally do figure it out, I'll forget the combination.

I walked into homeroom a little zombie-like. The rest of the day seemed pointless already, so I made an executive decision to act as detached as possible. Just kind of soak it in instead of trying to make the most out of this horrible situation.

The next big problem was navigating the halls. Nimitz High was the combination of students from two different middle schools, so it had over twice as many than I was accustomed to. Kids ran in all directions, gathered into little herds that blocked the hallway, and there were others exactly like me, lost and tired of the running and sheep-like students. I needed a GPS.

My first period class was United States History, which I finally found the classroom after passing by it twice. Thank you teacher for having the door completely open so that it covered the room number. I applaud you. Our instructor, a wiry looking woman with crazy brunette hair, was writing a seating chart on the chalk board. Oh, in case you haven't noticed how poor our district is, despite its academic and athletic, and chess, prowess, we couldn't afford even white erase boards. The district next to ours had smart boards and projectors in every room. We had to use the pull-down white boards with the old-fashioned projectors.

Our teacher, Miss Wesley, stood before the class and clapped her hands together for our attention as the bell rang. She looked like she'd just graduated college this past spring, which could have been the case. "Welcome, students," she said as everyone began to quiet down. "Today is the beginning of the rest of your life." Oh jeez, who was she kidding? "But to help with your future, you must learn the past. Every event that has taken place was a step towards the society that we are today, building blocks for the modern era. I want this class to be fun but informative at the same time." She paced the room as she talked, meeting the eyes of every student in the class. She walked to her desk and grabbed a large notebook. "I'll now be taking attendance." I didn't pay attention to the names of the students around me. I was actually a bit excited for this class. History, especially the progress of women in America, was a subject that really fascinated me. Knowing how we'd started out and now that we had equal rights with men was a big movement in our nation.

"Max Ride?" Miss Wesley asked, looking at some of the guys in the room.

"Here," I called, feeling slightly annoyed.

The boy sitting next to me turned and snickered. "Max Ride? What kind of name is that?"

It took all of my self-control not to lash out at him. "It's short for Maxine," I said slowly, as if I were talking to a five-year-old. "It's like when a girl goes by Sam even though her name is Samantha."

He snorted. "Isn't Ella Martinez your sister? Why is your last name Ride? It sounds like you were the illegitimate child of a Cowboy or something."

Under normal circumstances, I would have politely explained to this kid that Ella and I had different fathers, but this guy was really testing my patience. One thing about me is that when someone rubs me the wrong way, I explode. He was walking a thin line, on one side was a field of pillows and the other was a land swarming with porcupines. Guess which side he was leaning toward?

"You're an ass," I said under my breath. I didn't intend for anyone to hear that, but apparently I'd said it louder than I thought. Some kids stared at me with wide eyes, others began laughing, and Miss Wesley looked un-amused.

"Max, report to detention, now," she said, seemingly disappointed that this was the _first period_ of the _first day _of school. I stared at her in disbelief. I was being sent off for _that_? You'd think that in middle school the rules would be more strict; it usually took punching a guy's lights out to be sent to the office. This was pathetic. If I would have known that it was that simple to get detention I would have tried for something more memorable, ya know?

Miss Wesley motioned for me to get up in front of the room, and I obliged with embarrassment. The students looked excited, pleased that they were witnesses to the first real gossip of the year. I wanted to get the hell out of this place, but I was afraid that even thinking a swear would put me in deeper water. She wrote down something on a piece of paper, secured it with a resounding snap on a clipboard, and handed it to me. "Take this to Room 117, first floor," she instructed. "You'll remain there for the rest of the period and then you're free to go to the rest of your classes."

Oh great, this would go over well with Mom.

* * *

It was apparently punishment to send a student to this place known as "in-class detention", to make them sit among others of their horrible kind in silence while you get to skip out on your class that period. If they considered that a penalty for breaking school rules, I think I'd do something to get sent there in all my least favorite classes.

I walked through the halls looking for 117. The staircase that I'd descended placed me in the 130's, so I had time to think through why calling a kid an ass was such a bad thing. I mean, I'd told Angel Moore earlier today that it was wrong to call kids stupid, but she was six-years-old. We were in high school; kids wrote worse things on the walls of the girl's bathroom. If they opened a text message or stumbled upon an IM conversation that was going on in the computer lab, I'm sure these teachers would suspend the involved party. It seemed like an injustice, especially since I'd heard that a teacher wasn't reprimanded last year for calling a student a smartass. Talk about a double standard.

The halls were dull and puke-evoking, with the white paint chipping off to reveal disgusting shades of brown. Lockers appeared to have been donated from decades ago since they seemed to have been red about 30 years ago. Now I couldn't even describe what color they were. This school had probably seen its better days around the same era the lockers were built. It didn't look suitable to house 500 students.

I spotted 117, the door was shut completely with no windows. _Was anyone in there?_ I wondered as I stood in the hallway self-consciously. _Maybe they didn't expect students to be sent here so soon._ I mulled over if I'd broken a record for this, being the fastest student to get an in-class detention. There was really no point of waiting around, begging for an opportunity to get in greater trouble. I inhaled deeply and twisted the knob. It cracked open, releasing a current of cool air with the sound of an air conditioner rumbling loudly. I stepped inside.

No teacher was sitting at the front desk, which had a clipboard on it similar to the one I was carrying, but I was surprised to see a boy sitting at a desk in the front row. He had short strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. He looked to be about my height and was slender, but had a young face. He looked up at me as I entered and smirked. "If you wanted to be the first in here, I beat you to it," he said sarcastically.

I didn't know how to respond. It wasn't like I wanted to be here. I placed the clipboard on top of the other on the desk and took a seat by the kid.

"What are you in for?" he asked, kicking back and sprawling his gangly legs out in front of him.

"I called a kid an ass," I told him dismissively. He surprised me by cackling like a lunatic. "What?" I asked, feeling like my anger was walking that thin line again.

"That's it?" he asked, appalled, after he had stopped. "Jeez, I'm a bit disappointed by how easy it is to get sent here." He shook his head in mock-dissatisfaction. At least I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Why? What were you sent here for?" I was getting annoyed, so I pressed my fingers to my temple. The ripple of a headache was creeping its way through my brain.

He smiled, as if pleased with himself. "In Algebra, when the teacher handed me a calculator, I took it apart so I could build my latest masterpiece."

It took me a minute to process that. "_What?_" I asked oh so coherently.

He sat up in his chair, leaning toward me as if he were revealing a huge secret. "You see, I took apart my alarm clock and used it's switchboard as a timing device. I needed some extra wires, and it just so happened that my first class was Algebra. The teacher said that it was ours to look after, and when I was done with the wires I was going to put it back together. I didn't see what the big deal was." He motioned with his hands as he spoke like he was building this mechanism in the air.

"What exactly were you building?" I asked after another pause. The kids in this place were crazy. First a boy calls me an illegitimate child, and now we have a mad scientist in our midst.

"A timed stink bomb," he said enthusiastically. "All I need to complete it is a can of hairspray."

I leaned back in my chair and looked him over. He didn't seem like the trouble-stirring type, with his clean and slight face. But that was probably what made him the perfect suspect for danger. I supposed it would have been perfect if he hadn't done this in front of a teacher.

He extended his hand. "The name's James Griffith. As long as you keep cussing out the jackasses around here, I guess I'll be seeing you around often."

I shook his hand, although it was a little unorthodox to be making my first friend in detention. "I'm Max Ride."

"Your last name is Ride?" he asked incredulously.

I glared at him; he was pushing me again. "My parents weren't married. In fact they weren't even really in a relationship when my Mom got pregnant with me. Instead of forcing me to have her last name or my dad's when I got older, she allowed me to choose. I chose my own last name. It's after Sally Ride, the first female astronaut to go into space. She was like a pioneer so I admired her."

"Well, I'll expect to see your name in the headlines when we're older." He reclined again in his seat. Raising his hand in the air, he made a motion like a newspaper headline. "'First Foul-Mouthed Female to Enter Space.' The press will be all over a story like that."

I punched his arm jokingly. "Ow," he muttered, rubbing the welt that was developing on his puny arm.

A balding man in a navy suit entered into the room, examining the two of us with a scrutinizing eye. He didn't look too pleased. He strode to the desk and looked at the clipboard. "So nice of you to join us, Miss Ride," he said reproachfully. "I see you've already caught the idea of detention."

James and I shared a significant glance. We smirked and then sat back in our chairs, enjoying our 'punishment'.

* * *

**I'm in need of inspiration. I can't really find a reason to write right now, and every time I try nothing good comes out of it. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears. Or eyes or whatever.**

**To clear up any confusion, yes, James is Iggy, and no he isn't blind. He's never been to the School, so he's never had his vision messed up. And none of them have wings, but again I mention that this story isn't the regular "flock is normal" type thing, but it may seem like it for a while. **

**I'm leaving on Wednesday for New York and I won't be back until late Saturday, then I'm probably spending all of Sunday with my cousin who is in town. I might not post anything new for a while, but I'm trying to convince my brother to let me bring his lap top on the trip.**

**Review Please!!**


	5. Mysterious Stranger

**Chapter 5 – Mysterious Stranger**

Here's a list of the key points I was compiling that I could take away from my first day of school:

Don't cuss anyone out, under any circumstance. If you _do_ feel the need, do it via email or Myspace or anything of those sorts. You won't get caught.

Keep all electronic devices away from James. Who knows if you'll see it again… at least in the way it was originally constructed.

Find a way to get to in-class detention when you're annoyed with your class. It may be a little monotonous, but if you really need to catch up on sleep, no one will disrupt you.

I was a little disappointed that the rest of the day wasn't as exciting as it had started out. Besides James, I didn't manage to make any other friends, and even then I didn't see him for the rest of the day. I assumed he spent most of his time in detention. At lunch I managed to sit with some girls in my fourth period Spanish class, but I didn't really talk with them since I had trouble connecting with people in general.

Most of my classes were real snore-fests, but getting out would probably be harder than I'd originally thought possible. In my English class with Mr. Lorenzo, a kid's cell phone vibrated twice and he didn't hear it. That was a definite no-no in the student hand book. I'd have to get creative in that class. Then in Algebra the girl next to me ate a snack, but Mrs. Conklin just told her to put it away. I realized my task was going to be a lot harder when I was in the hallways as a teacher passed right by a couple making out and didn't spare a second glance. Maybe they just had something against me, like a universal Wanted sign had been posted without my knowledge. It had my picture centered and read below "any chance you have of nailing this girl, flag her down immediately!"

It was a little bittersweet as my last class of the day rolled along. I was excited because I'd been through enough mindless torture to last me until next September, but it sucked because eighth period was P.E. Unlike middle school which was coed gym, they had separate classes for the boys and girls running simultaneously. Some genius decided that, even though it was our first day of classes, we should have gym anyway. They handed out uniforms and we had to change in the disgusting and cramped locker room – which by the way had some very inappropriate phrases written in the bathroom stalls.

The girls were outside on the soccer field while the guys were running the track that was circumscribed about where we were. Rows of bleachers lined the east side of the field for when they held soccer games or track events after school.

Mrs. Roland blew her obnoxious whistle and signaled for the girls to encircle her. "Good afternoon, ladies," she declared as only a coach could. "Today we're playing a friendly game of soccer, and since it's the first day it isn't mandatory. Anyone who wants to play walk out to the field, and everyone else can watch from the sidelines. Just remember that next week we'll begin our physical fitness trials, which no one is exempt from." The whistle sounded again, and we all scattered in different directions. Most of the preppy girls walked towards the bleachers while I headed toward the field.

Just as we started organizing teams, the guys started running around the track. As they came near where a heard of us were standing, they slowed their jogs to watch us. I was trying, unsuccessfully, to juggle a soccer ball, and as a group of guys passed they laughed at my pathetic attempt. I was tempted to run over and sock them, but my headache from before hadn't completely gone away. Rubbing my head, I took my position as our team's goalie.

The game was mostly like one of those giant pinball machines, where the ball would go to one person and they'd kick it, which would in turn bounce off of two or more other players. There was one girl on my team who was clearly played soccer because she was making all of us look like traffic cones with the way she was dodging defenders. She scored a few goals like it was nothing.

I basically just stood in goal, not really doing anything, which was fine with me. I do consider myself athletic, and on any normal day I'd be out there fouling girls left and right, but today I was extremely worn out. Maybe I needed to knock some people around to make myself perk up, but since it wouldn't be a pretty sight to see me perky, I decided against it.

I suddenly felt extremely self-conscience, as if eyes were watching my every move. My head involuntarily turned in the direction where I felt the stare coming from, but I just looked at empty bleachers. All the girls who weren't playing were socializing on the other side. I tried to peer in between the seats to see if anyone was there, but I couldn't make out anything except a patch of white –

"Hey, watch it!" someone shouted from close by.

"Huh-" I barely made out before a ball came whizzing by and smashed into the side of my head. It rolled off into the goal, causing a cacophony of cheers to erupt from the other team. I, on the other hand, wasn't in the greatest condition. The ball caused my brain to rattle against my skull like a ping pong ball, the pain rippling from all sides. I clutched at my head involuntarily as I hit the grass, feeling my vision getting blurry. The sun seemed too bright now, as it normally shone in the late summer. I closed my eyes to escape the one source of pain.

"Are you alright?" a feminine voice asked. I blinked a few times past the blaring sun and my eyes focused on Mrs. Roland and one of the girls on my team standing above me. They were slowly becoming more visible and it seemed like they were speaking in slow motion like the movies. My view of them was slightly clouded.

"Yeah," I croaked, slowly feeling my strength returning. My vision was getting better by the second. As my brain began to settle, I felt a little embarrassed for zoning out during the game. "Can I just sit out the rest of the game?" I asked as I raised my torso into a sitting position.

"Sure, kid," Mrs. Roland said. She and the other girl helped me stand up. "If you need any Advil I can give you some now."

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine," I lied, although I was feeling better.

I headed toward the bleachers, pausing as a group of guys were running by on the track. Some of them laughed at me from what happened before, I suspected, but I didn't care. My head was still sore from being hit, but the incident had caused my headache to raise a couple notches on the pain scale. The sun was still stinging my eyes, the tell-tail sign of the beginning of a migraine. The field was open; all trees had been removed when they constructed the track. There was no escape from the light, except for one place: underneath the bleachers. They were tall enough to block off most of the rays and it was secluded from all the squawking girly girls. I crawled in between the beams that supported the seats and collapsed unto the ground, sighing and closing my eyes as I felt the immediate difference in heat and light between this closed space and the outside world.

When I reopened my eyes, I was shocked when I was greeted by the dark questioning gaze of a boy sitting across from me.

He was sitting against the beams that separated one grouping of bleachers from the other, dressed completely in black. His skin was olive toned and his angular face was surrounded by long black hair that fell past his shoulders. He was lean but appeared to have a toned, muscular body underneath his slim form. The part of him that captivated me was his dark eyes, as hard and closed-off as onyx. Whoa, did I just say captivated? Forget I said that. I blame the migraine.

He raised an eyebrow, questioning me wordlessly.

We sat there quietly for a few minutes. He was waiting for me to answer his unspoken question, while I was waiting for him to ask it.

"Hi," I said awkwardly, coughing to disguise my discomfort. "Uh, what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to pry information from him. I was intrigued by his silent demeanor.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he said in a rough, low voice. It sounded as though he rarely spoke.

"I asked you first," I said in my more usual stand-offish tone.

He just stared at me, slightly amused. I was slowly becoming irritated by his silence. He was the opposite of James, who talked freely.

"You look like the athletic type," I continued, noting his body again. "You seem like someone who'd be on the track team. Why aren't you running with the other guys?"

He smirked, as if to say, "Yeah, I know I could, but I'm making a statement by sitting out. I'm just _that_ cool." I was really getting annoyed.

I spotted a white sketchbook sitting on his lap, turned to a blank page. I eyed it curiously. "You're an artist? Can I see what you were drawing?" I leaned forward to get a better look, but he withdrew from me and hid the pad against his chest.

"I don't let people see my work," he said, sending me a warning glance that said "Drop the subject".

I remembered seeing the white patch in this area earlier, but I didn't recall seeing this mysterious, and very annoying, stranger. "Have you been here all period? I didn't see you out on the field," I said as an excuse.

"Yeah."

"You didn't want to sit with all those preppy bitches?"

"No."

"Why not? Guys would sit out on purpose to talk with pretty girls. Wait a minute; you're not gay, are you?"

He smirked again, his main, irritating, feature. I figured that was the closest to a humorous look I'd get out of him. "I wanted to get away." He shrugged off the issue again, although he still hadn't answered if he was gay or not. Not that it really mattered to me.

We were silent again, just drinking each other in. I was confused yet fascinated by his silent, closed-off personality, yet that was what aggravated me the most. Would it kill the kid to talk for once? It wasn't like I was the first person he'd ever talked to.

"I'm Max," I said after a while of feeling self-conscience under his deep, dark gaze.

"Fang," he said after a moment's hesitation.

"You're name is Fang?"

"Yeah, you got something against it?" he challenged.

I had nothing to say to him because it was only this morning that someone had questioned me about my name. Sure, Fang was a bit of an unorthodox name, and he was a bit unusual himself, but the name suited him. He was dark, cryptic, and a bit brooding. If it were anyone else with him, they'd be frightened by his threatening glance.

The final bell rang, and I nearly jumped up in joy if I wouldn't have hit my head against the metal. Fang gathered his sketchbook and tucked it underneath his arm. He scooted forward as I shuffled out of the bleachers. When I was back in the sunlight, the pain in my head, which had been fading, started to return. I grimaced and lowered my gaze from the light. "See you sometime?" I left it as a question as Fang emerged beside me.

"I'll be around," he said with a shrug. That wasn't exactly a yes, but I was pleased that we were making progress. As in, he was saying three words to me now instead of one. I couldn't explain why I was anxious about his answer, though.

I sighed and walked away, still feeling his eyes on my back. But my mind slowly forgot about him as I remembered that I was finally going home. My first day of high school had come and gone, and I didn't feel any different than before. See, folks, it's not as life changing as you thought!

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****

**Okay, Fang is **_**not**_** gay in this. I just didn't see that question as something **he'd answer. I found inspiration! Yah me! And it was reflected in this chapter. :P I was watching the USA soccer game against Egypt, which the U.S. made the semis of the Confederate Cup with the win and a lot of luck. So I was in a very soccer-ish mood.

**To answer some of the comments from before, reproachfully means shamefully or wearily. Do the flock members have powers? You must read for yourself. :) I already had planned the ways we'd meet the flock members beforehand, but I was really grateful for everyone's encouragement. Nudge won't be introduced for a few more chapters, so sorry to all you Nudge fans! I have some interesting things in store coming up, so stay tuned!**

**Review please!! **


	6. News

**Chapter 6 – News **

Farm duties didn't escape us once we returned home. It was back to work from the moment we stepped foot on our property. Ella got changed into more appropriate clothing while I remained in what I'd worn to school, since it wasn't much different than my work clothing anyway. I waited at the end of the hallway, tapping my foot impatiently for her to put on shorts and a tank top. Jeez, you'd think she was preparing for her wedding.

Our old farmhouse had been remodeled since we moved in about six years ago. It was too big for a family of three, so big that my mother considered fostering children for a while, but that idea never got past its infancy. The upstairs had three bedrooms, two belonging to Ella and me, while the downstairs had the master bedroom and another spare room. This was the greatest house to live in when you're a kid because you could spend endless hours playing hide and seek, which came in handy whenever Ella and I babysat Angel and Gabriel Moore.

When Ella finally finished getting changed, we headed out to work at the stable. Our daily schedule on a school day was as follows: get up in the morning to muck the stalls, feed the animals, etc; after school, exercise the horses and clean the riding equipment; after dinner we would feed the farm animals again. The only part of the routine that I enjoyed was this time of the day because I got to bond with my beautiful bay mare, Gale.

She was restless when we reached the stables, anticipating my arrival like a true friend. I came up to her and rubbed her muzzle, cooing to her like a baby. "Hey, Gale, you're so pretty," I said, and she sneezed in my face as she'd done this morning. It was her common greeting. I laughed as I placed the halter around her giant head. Holding a good grasp on the reins, I coaxed her out of her stall after I'd unlatched the gate. I equipped her with her saddle and made sure she was strapped in tightly. Behind me, Ella was saddling her horse, Estelle. I rose onto Gale's saddle and steered her outside.

The best place to ride her was along the old horse trail set up by the farm's original owner that rounded the entire property. It led all the way toward my mother's vet practice, and was separated from the roads by a white picket fence. I switched between trotting and cantering with Gale so that she could stay in shape and be prepared for our next competition. It took us a good hour to finish riding the trail.

As we returned, I saw Ella in the small ring we had set up by the stable filled with jumps and other obstacles to maneuver around. In front of the barn was parked a very ritzy Bentley. I rolled my eyes but laughed when I realized who it was.

I latched Gale's halter to a hook on the outside of the barn and unstrapped the saddle. I grabbed the hose to cool her off. When I started wetting her, another bay emerged from the barn with her owner. Monique Johnson was the eleven-year-old daughter of a wealthy lawyer who housed her prized thoroughbred, Krystal, in our barn. Her tangled brown hair was thrown back into a pony tail and her caramel skin was accented nicely with the white tank top and riding pants she was wearing.

"Hey, Max!" she called excitedly as she led her horse to where Gale and I were.

"Hey, Mo," I said, putting away the hose.

"Oh, my god! How was your first day of school? I don't start until tomorrow 'cause I go to that private school out of town, you know the one with that cute school skirt. I really like it, but we can't accessorize the way I'd like to. And I bought this totally cute waist belt that we can't wear over our sweaters. I always think it's weird that we have to wear them in September. Don't you think that's weird? It can get really hot this time of the year–"

"Mo! Calm down, jeez." I'd walked into the barn while she was talking to grab some leather cleaner and a sponge, and when I returned she was still talking. My headache was creeping back. In case you didn't notice, Monique was a chatter box. The only way you could really shut her up was by duct taping her mouth, but even then I'd think she'd find a way to talk. Talk about talent.

"Sorry," she apologized with an oversized grin.

"Mo!" Ella called as she pulled Estelle next to Gale. "How are you?"

"Good, so how was your first day? Any cute boys? Because I met this really cute guy over the summer at the mall outside of Claire's. I never figured out why he was outside of a jewelry store, but then again he could be buying something for a friend or his mother. I need to find something for my mom because her birthday is coming up, but Dad wants me to buy her gift with my own money. Like, we have tons of money, I don't see why he can't just give me the money…" She trailed off after the stern looks Ella and I shot at her. Recognition flashed across her face as she realized she was rambling.

"See ya," I said to her once I'd finished cleaning the riding gear. "I'm heading in for the day."

"Bye," Mo said. I returned Gale to her stall and walked back to the house, hearing Mo and Ella's conversation about boys echoing off the large building.

When I got inside I sighed heavily. My day hadn't ended, but I wanted to go to bed. It all started with my father this morning. He was the bane of my existence. My life would be much less complicated if he would just leave me alone for once.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard. I scrounged around for the tablets of ibuprofen. I downed two pills with the water and sighed again, thinking about ridding myself of this headache.

Mom's heals tapped on the hardwood floor as she entered the kitchen. I turned toward her and she smiled. "Hey, honey," she said as she came up and gave me a hug, despite the fact that I smelled like wet horse. "How was your day?"

"Okay, I guess," I said. I didn't feel like telling her that I'd gotten detention, although that wouldn't have surprised her.

"Just okay?" She looked concerned. "Was it hard? You didn't meet any new friends? You know high school isn't that much different than middle school."

"I did meet a couple guys…" I said, not really wanting to tell her. Don't get me wrong, Mom and I are close, but boy talk wasn't really our thing. It never came up in my life, so we never talked about it.

"Guys? Were they nice? How'd you meet them?" She acted as interested as Ella and Monique.

I rolled my eyes. "It's nothing, really. They're just friends. I hardly even talked to them."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "Well, at least it's a start." She smiled and squeezed me again.

"Hey, Mom," Ella said as she came inside. She hugged Mom.

"How was your day?" she asked, knowing she'd get more info from Ella.

"It was fun, but all my friends are in different classes. That's one of the reasons why I hate middle school because we are constantly changing. Like last year we were able to schedule our classes together, but this year they wouldn't let us rearrange without a good reason, so I'm stuck alone. I think wanting to be with your friends is a good enough reason. Although I sit next to a cute boy in Science."

"Ella," Mom said in a stern voice. "Your education is more important than hanging out with friends. Besides, you can make new ones in your other classes." She paused and looked at the two of us significantly. "Now that you're both here, I have some news to share with you. I want your opinion on this."

"What is it?" Ella asked.

"Well, when Jeb stopped by earlier…" She paused again as she felt my tension radiating in the space between us. "And he mentioned that he knew someone in social services who was looking for a home for a child in foster care. Now, I know this is short notice and that we hadn't considered fostering for a while, but I wanted to know how you feel about getting a foster brother."

It _had_ been a while since we'd considered sharing our home with kids in need, but I was never against the idea. It would switch up our usually monotonous lives on the farm. What concerned me was that this was Jeb's idea.

"You know for sure that it's a boy?" Ella asked, excited. "Oh, my god, that would be awesome! How old is he? I hope he's my age, and really cute."

"Ew, do you know how disgusting it would be to hook up with your foster brother?" I asked. "Talk about rumors spreading like crazy, with people knowing that you live with your boyfriend. Everyone would get the wrong idea."

"Ella, I don't know much about this boy yet," Mom said. "I don't know how old he is or what grade he's in, but all I know is that his name is Marco. This was very sudden, and at first I was hesitant, but the more I thought about it the more fun I thought it would be. We could teach him about the farm life. It would be a good learning experience for him."

"Well, no matter how old he is, I always wanted a brother," Ella said.

"But neither of you are against it?" Mom cut in, looking excited and nervous at the same time.

"Of course not!" Ella chirped.

"No, it would be awesome," I added.

Mom smiled. "Good, I'll let Jeb know tonight that we're interested. I don't know how long it will take before he's allowed to move in. No matter how old he is, he is definitely not staying in the spare room upstairs."

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**So I said I wasn't going to introduce Nudge for a while, but as I was writing this chapter I realized I could do it now. It fit with what was going on, so I gave everyone a treat just so that you wouldn't think this chapter was completely useless, but it's not. It's very important people!**

**I'll try posting another chapter tomorrow morning, but I'm leaving for New York then. If anyone knows any place good to eat, let me know! Like I said before, I hope to post some things while I'm gone, but there are no guarantees. And I'm gonna try to keep a blog of my trip. So kuddos to anyone who checks it out. A link is on my profile.**

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews! But keep reviewing folks if you want updates while I'm on the road!!**


	7. A Major Setback

**Chapter 7 – A Major Setback **

Guess what? The rest of the week, _nothing bad happened_. I was a little shocked myself. Like, how often can I go through and entire school day without punching someone, cussing, or skipping class? From Tuesday until Friday, I'd only gone to in-class detention twice, once from Spanish for speaking English (I mean, seriously, everyone does it. I swear it's that universal wanted sign again) and the second time from talking back to my Biology teacher. Both times that I'd gone I saw James, and we cracked up at the irony of us being there at the same time.

"I would think you live here," I'd joked to him at one time. "You always beat me here."

He'd shaken his head, playing the innocent card. "No, seriously, I've only been here a few times. It was coincidence that it just happened to be the same period."

We didn't have any classes together, but I got to sit with him at lunch, which was a nice break. James was hilarious, if not a little provocative with his innuendos. No matter how many times I tell him that I've never had a boyfriend, he always cracks a sex joke about me.

The only class I had with Fang was eighth period gym, but once participation was mandatory I saw him running around the track all period like it was nothing. I knew he was a born runner, but as his smirk told me before he was "_just that cool_". I saw girls drooling all over him on the soccer field, so much that I wasn't the only one to be hit in the head with a ball during that week. When I saw Fang at the halls, since his locker was near mine, I always smiled at him. He returned my acknowledgement by appearing less taut, and I even swore his black eyes sparkled once. Although he never smiled at me.

Other than those two boys, I'd didn't have any other friends. The girls _and_all the other boys in school thought I was too tough, too un-girly. But that never affected me because I wasn't afraid to be myself. How's that for all you mask-wearing folks?

I think my personal greatest achievement was that my headache hadn't returned at all. _Thank you, brain_, I thought wryly.

Over the weekend we'd learned that our new foster brother was arriving that upcoming Monday after school. He was supposedly in my school, so we knew he was older, which excited Ella greatly. I, on the other hand, wondered if I'd already met him or seen him. Hopefully it wasn't one of the guys who'd laughed at me in gym that first day. 'Cause if he ever brought it up I'd slug him.

Today was the day that he was coming, and I was anxious to meet who it was. Was I excited? A little. Would this be interesting? Definitely.

It wasn't until eighth period gym that I really felt nervous about our new brother. It kind of felt more tangible, like that it was really only moments away. However, I had to make it through a tough challenge to win the prize of a foster brother: physical fitness trials.

We were inside the gym for today's examination. Our first task was to do at least sixty sit-ups and forty pushups in a minute. Not all together, cause that would be crazy. Even _I _couldn't do that. It was a minute per task, which was a piece of cake. The next task was chin-ups, which I'd heard every upper classman complain about having to do. You had to hold your chin above the bar that hung on the gym wall for at least ten seconds. I didn't think it was going to be hard, but after watching every girl hold on for either two seconds or not be able to hold themselves up at all, I got the impression that these weaklings really needed to work on a farm.

From what I understood, the guys had to hold themselves up longer than we did, and every time one of them completed the task the guys would cheer like idiots. I heard their merriment sound again, and I looked over to see that Fang, still dressed completely in black, had just completed the chin-ups without even looking exhausted. I rolled my eyes.

"You're up, Ride," Mrs. Roland said as she waved me over to the bar.

_Okay, Max, show them how to do it_. I walked up to the milk crate that was used as a step to get to the bar. I stepped up and got a firm grasp on the cool metal pole.

"Ready?" Mrs. Roland asked, holding her stopwatch in her hand.

I nodded.

"Okay, lift yourself up… now." She pressed the timer as I pulled myself up above the bar. With my long arms, I had a good amount of space in between the bar and my chin. I was tempted to rock my head back and forth to show that it was really nothing, but I wasn't a show off. All the girls gaped at me like I was a female Sampson come to life.

"Time," our teacher said, clicking the stopper. I jumped down and smiled. It wasn't hard at all, maybe a little too easy. I guess growing up on a farm and wrestling a 1,200 lbs. horse can do that for you. Some of the girls clapped, but most of the responses were girls ignoring me.

We finished the testing early, so after I'd finished changing they allowed us to wander the halls. I went back to my locker to make sure I had all of my books for when Mom came. She was picking me up at the office along with our new foster brother, Marco. I was beginning to recognize faces around the school, but no one really stood out to me as a 'Marco' type.

"Maxine Ride and Marco Liridon, please report to the office," a woman said over the P.A. I straightened up from where I was slouched against my locker. I looked around to see if any guy was heading toward the office, which was only down the hall, but no one seemed to be going in that direction. I sighed and began to walk toward the office –

That's when it hit me. It was so unexpected, like a plane crash or coming home to see your house on fire. As I took one step from my locker, my head felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside. Like a grenade had been set off within my skull. It was so debilitating, so fast, that I hit the floor immediately with a loud smack. I was sure people stopped to stare, but I couldn't focus on them. All I could think about was that my brain was probably committing suicide, and that the thought of killing myself didn't sound half bad either.

I'd dealt with pain before. I'd taken a spill plenty of times when Gale flipped me off her back or if we stumbled over a hurdle. I fell from the staircase in the barn and sprained my wrist. I had a gash cut into my head when I was messing around with Savannah, our dog, and I tripped over a rock and hit the fence that surrounded our property. But this was so much different, more potent than all those other pains combined. If death was half as painful as this, I'd take it right now.

I lay there, cradling my head in my arms and curling into a fetal position. I hoped that students would trample me as they walked the halls, putting an end to the agonizing pain. Many voices blended in around me, but I could hardly make any out. Weird images flashed under my eyelids, but I couldn't tell what they were. I couldn't decifer separate voices. Everything was mixed together.

"Max?" This voice was crystal clear, as if it had been spoken in an open meadow as opposed to a high school hallway. I instantly recognized the rough, low voice that I'd only heard a couple of times. He sounded concerned, even a little confused, but I couldn't think of the reasoning behind it. All I could think about was how I wanted him to drive a pitchfork through my skull.

"Max? Are you okay?" Fang's voice was closer, like he was hovering over me.

"Give her space, people," another male voice said, one that I also recognized. James. "Yo, dude, is she okay? Did you see what happened?"

Why were they talking when it was clearly obvious that I was dying? Couldn't they snap my neck or something?!?

"No, I was going to my locker when I saw a bunch of people hovering over a body. I didn't realize it was Max until I pushed through ten kids."

"I'll go get a teacher," James said after a moment. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. What were they waiting for?

"No, I'll take her to the office," Fang offered as I felt thin, wiry arms lift me up. "The nurse should be in there." He took off down the hall, with me in his arms. That was when I officially blacked out.

* * *

**I'm sorry I had to stop it here! I wrote this last night and I wanted to get it out quickly so I split this into two chapters. If you're good little reviewers, I'll post the second half later tonight since my brother let me borrow his lap top. It is so worth to check back tonight because I've finished the next chapter and I must admit that I'm proud of myself for thinking of this nice little twist (not to sound arrogant…) :P **

**Wish me good luck at all the colleges I'm visiting. Remember that later tonight you can read my report on the blog that I'm keeping. For a link, check out my profile page!!**


	8. I Did Not See That Coming

**Chapter 8 – I Did **_**Not**_** See That Coming**

When I came to, I felt like I was having one of those out-of-body experiences where my mind was floating above my body. It almost felt like my body didn't even exist. The strange images I'd seen before were flashing again, but I still couldn't make out any one particular thing.

My brain finally picked up on the conversation that was going on around me, which before had sounded like feedback from a guitar, with the same grating, mind-wrenching screeching. Luckily my head felt better, so the noise sounded less like a grater shaving sound waves and more like people's voices.

"Did you see what happened?" a concerned female voice asked. I felt a cool hand being pressed against my forehead. "She feels hot, and clammy. Maybe she has a fever and passed out from exhaustion."

"We did just have gym," said Fang in a very calm voice. "If she's sick she could have pushed herself a little too far."

"Oh, my God! Max!" I immediately recognized my mother's voice, and my heart constricted painfully. She sounded so worried. I could probably open my eyes now, despite them probably hurting from the fluorescent lights. "Dios mio, what happened?"

"All we know was that she passed out," said the female voice. "This boy helped carry her here."

I opened my eyes slowly, fighting off the stinging pain that shot through them as my eyes adjusted to the artificial light. "Hey," I said, my voice thick and rough. I tried to cough but that rattled my brain.

"Oh, honey!" Mom exclaimed, looking relieved. She caressed my shoulder and held my cheek in her other hand. "What happened? I just came in and they told me you were at the nurses' office."

"I got this killer migraine," I said, shuddering as I remembered how painful it was. I struggled into a somewhat upright sitting position. Mom's hands fluttered all around, trying to help support me.

"Are you sure you're okay now? Maybe you should lie down again if your head still hurts," the nurse said.

I shook my head. "I feel better," I said, looking around the room. It was white – white floors, cabinets, walls – and it smelled of antiseptic, which instantly made my stomach churn uncomfortably. Ever since I was little I'd hated the smell, probably from the times I'd been forced to visit Jeb at his doctor's office. Mom was standing by my side, her face cautiously optimistic, but still worried. The nurse was about halfway in between the doorway and the cot I was lying on. She didn't look as convinced. Fang was leaning against the far wall, watching the scene with inscrutable and impassive eyes, arms crossed over his chest. Like his eyes, his face displayed no emotion.

"Are you sure you feel better?" the nurse asked. Her voice was skeptical.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm better, honestly. I would know if I wasn't." I couldn't believe such a powerful migraine was humanly possible. There had to be some logical explanation for it.

"Let me at least take your temperature," she insisted. "You feel feverish."

"I'm fine." Despite my protests, Mom motioned for her to grab a thermometer. I glared at the nurse as she stuck the plastic covering in my ear. When it beeped, she nearly dropped it from surprise.

"Oh my! You have a fever of one hundred and four!" I'm sure the look on my face just then was one of complete confusion, because I knew there was no way in hell that I was sick. I'd had fevers many times, I mean, I worked on a farm… when it was like zero degrees outside. I got diseases that people didn't even know existed. The fact of the matter is, I know when I'm sick and right now I wasn't. My brain might be ripping apart like licorice, but otherwise I was fine.

Something very strange was going on, and I didn't think that my body was responsible for everything.

"If you felt sick, they would have let you out of gym," Mom scolded. I saw Fang smirk from the corner. The look that annoyed the hell out of me, especially now.

"But I'm not sick," I protested. "The only time I felt bad all day was when I got that migraine, and that's it. I know I'm fine. Maybe I'm just overheated or something."

"Well, if you don't feel well tomorrow then tell your mother," the nurse said. "I'll let the office know that you're okay." She exited the room and closed the door behind her. It was quiet for a moment as my mom and I had a silent argument about my physical health and mental sanity. She knew that I knew myself better than anyone else did, but you can't argue with technology. Or so the veterinarian thought.

"When we get home, I want you to stay away from the barn for the day," Mom said. "Besides, we need to help settle out guest in, and I think it will be best if Marco is showed around by you rather than Ella." We laughed at that.

I noticed Fang stiffen up a bit, but it would hardly be noticeable to anyone else.

"Let me go to the office to see if Marco is there," Mom said, heading toward the door.

"Wait," Fang said, taking a step off the wall. "Are you Valencia Martinez?"

Mom paused as she and I looked at Fang strangely. How did he know my mom?

"Yes," she said kindly. "How did you know?"

Realization just hit me, almost as hard as that migraine did. I couldn't explain the weird hitch that picked up within my chest, the unusual tightening of my core that I'd never felt before. Maybe I _was_ sick, but that wouldn't explain why my heart fluttered like a hummingbird as opposed to a marathon runner. Boy, I did _not _see that coming.

"I know because I'm Marco Liridon. I'm your foster son."

* * *

**I know I'm so evil!!! I told one of the lovely reviewers that Fang wasn't his real name, and I wanted to keep it a secret so that you wouldn't know until now that he was their foster son. Why did I choose Marco Liridon, you may ask? Well Marco is something that sounded Italian/Greek, which is always how I pictured Fang's nationality to be. He may be part Hispanic, too, but who knows? And Liridon means "free". I had this planned since the first chapter, because I always thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if Fang and Max lived under the same roof for different reasons than you might think.**

**Remember to check my Blog later tonight. It will be updated from the first leg of the trip at some point tonight!!! **

**I can't guarantee any new posts soon because I have no idea if our hotel tomorrow night will have Internet access or if I'll even finish the next chapter before then. If you like this, please review! Reviews make me happy!!!**


	9. Ulterior Motive

**Chapter 9 - Ulterior Motive**

"You're real name is Marco Liridon?" My mouth was literally on the floor. "I'd been going to school with you for a week and I had no idea. Why did you tell me your name was Fang?"

He shrugged and tried not to look too pleased. "Fang's my nickname. I gave it to myself when I entered foster care."

"I had no idea –"

"Look, it's not something I advertise." His response was curt and slightly agitated. "If you're feeling better I'd like to go soon."

I nodded. There was no way I was staying here any longer. Mom walked along my side in case I suddenly collapsed again. "Where is the rest of your stuff, Marco?" she asked him.

"It's Fang, Mrs. Martinez," he said politely. I was tempted to flip him the bird for being such a suck-up to her. "I have my stuff in my locker."

"Can we help you at all?"

"No, thanks, I got it." He walked out of the nurses' office.

Mom turned to me with a smile. "He seems nice enough, and respectful for helping you here when you had that migraine. And you're friends with him already? You never told me you made friends here."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I only have one class with him and I've talked to him a total of like one time. And that class is gym, so we never get the chance to talk. Besides, _it's not something I advertise_," I said, using Fang's prior choice of words.

"Still, this is good," she went on, like I hadn't spoken. "He already knows you, so the transition should be easier for him. When we get back, I want you to show him around our home and the barn. Get him acquainted with the fact that staying with the Martinez's means that he has to work. I'll figure out something he can do to help out. What I said before at home still applies – he's staying in the downstairs bedroom."

I nodded, not that it really mattered to me. To Ella, she'd whine and complain but then give in because there's no arguing with Mom.

We walked out of the office into the hallway, waiting for Fang to come back. I remembered when Mom had said that we would be getting a foster brother. I expected maybe someone around the age of Gabe or Angel, not someone _in my class_. I wonder why fate would bring the two of us together. Why would -?

That's when I remembered something very important. This wasn't fates work.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you that Jeb is coming over tonight." She tried to mention it as an afterthought, but the suddent tension rolling off of her showed that she knew it wasn't an afterthought to me.

My blood ran cold. This was all Jeb's doing.

Why had he suddenly taken an interest in what good service our family was doing by housing homeless kids? Why had he suggested us taking in Fang as opposed to someone younger, or someone else for that matter? Why was _he_ so important? Why did Jeb want to ruin my life this way?

"He wanted to meet with Fang after he'd heard about him through Social Services," Mom said, warning in her voice.

I looked at her like she just proclaimed that the apocalypse was coming tonight. "Mom, why did Jeb suggest that we foster Fang?"

She looked confused for a moment, but then realization dawned on her face. "I know what you're thinking, Max, but not everything that your father does is meant to make your life miserable." Her voice was dripping with irritation. "He knew we wanted to do this, and for once when he offers us some help you have to think that he has some ulterior motive."

"He _does_ have an ulterior motive," I muttered.

She sighed heavily, as she did often when we argued about Jeb.

"Why didn't he just foster Fang? He has tons of space at his home. He only lives with Ari." Ari was my seven-year-old half brother; his mother died in a car crash shortly after he was born. I hadn't seen him much since he was a baby, mostly because Jeb lived about an hour away.

"Because he's hardly ever home. You know being a doctor keeps him at the office for most of the day."

"And yet he still finds a way to visit us, despite his busy schedule," I said sarcastically.

Mom shot me one of her don't-you-say-another-word-about-your-father look. I frowned at her; I didn't understand why she felt the need to protect him. "Please, don't act like this when he comes here. If anything, behave for Fang's sake. I'm sure he'll love to meet the man who placed him in a home."

_And once he meets him he'll be asked to be placed in another home_, I thought. But I didn't say anything more about it. She looked pleased.

Fang returned with a few bags, not nearly anything as much as any one of us would have if we packed all our possessions. I felt bad for him, wondering what his story was. Why was he in foster care? Was he glad to be coming to our home? And most importantly, why did Jeb know about him?

Mom had parked in front of the school, so we were able to put his belongings in the trunk of our minivan quickly. I jumped into the passenger side while Fang got into the back seat. Mom drove off without a word, a little angered by our argument about Jeb, which happened a lot.

"You excited?" Mom asked Fang, looking at him through the rearview mirror.

He shrugged, his face displaying no emotion. "It'll be different," was all he said.

"Well, hopefully you will enjoy it." I rolled my eyes. "In case you don't know, we live on a farm. We expect every member of the family to help out, so I hope you don't mind some physical work. Either way I'll expect you to do something."

He raised an eyebrow. "I can manage," he said, trying not to act arrogant.

"Good," she said with an expectant smile. It will be hilarious to see Mr. Dark & Silent working on a farm with a bunch of smelly animals.

* * *

**Sorry if this kind of sucked. It's the best I can do while I'm away from my best writing area - aka my room. I have to write with my parents looking over my shoulder constantly. Well, the good news is that I will get home tomorrow, although it won't be until late tomorrow night. And I have family in the area so I probably won't be able to post a new chapter until at least Monday.**

**I'm really tempted to change the direction of this story, not sure why though. I had something planned, but I don't know how it will work out. If anyone has any advice or wants to help, just pm me. I might post a poll also, depending on how much of the story I want to give away... **

**Thanks to PaRaM0Re-0394 for the recommendation of Hard Rock Cafe. I convinced my parents to go and it was awesome!! And to anyone who hasn't checked out my blog, I'm posting a link here: .com/ It's no where near as good as Fang's, but if anyone has any college advice/experience it will be fun to hear from you!**


	10. Adjustment

**Chapter 10 - Adjustment**

As we pulled into the driveway, it was no surprise to see Ella's expectant face peering through the curtains. She wore a huge, goofy grin like she was about to meet the teen idol of her dreams. I wondered how disappointed she'll be when she figures out that Fang isn't like most other teenage boys that you see on TV. Or read about in books for that matter. I mean, what guy in real life is like Edward Cullen? Or Mr. Darcy? – don't even ask how I know of him.

We helped Fang with his scanty amount of bags and led him inside. Ella was practically bouncing with excitement, while our dog Savannah picked up on my half-sisters mood and barked happily. She wagged her stub of a tail so hard that her hips swayed with it. As Fang set some bags down she ran up to him and jumped, resting her paws on his chest. She was sniffing him all over and trying to lick his arms. Fang didn't seem too thrilled.

"Down, Savannah," I ordered, clutching her collar to withhold her from licking Fang to death. I had to admit, it was a funny sight. After seeing this display, I wondered how much better it will be to see him dealing with pigs, sheep, and horses.

"Hi, I'm Ella," my sister announced, walking around Savannah and opening her arms wide as if to embrace him. One look from Fang made her pause in her advance. He really didn't seem like a huggable person, at look he shot her wasn't the most friendly one either. "Err, you must be Marco," she said a little less confidently. However, the way her eyes sparkled was clearly a sign that she was crushing on Fang. Weirdo.

"Call me Fang," he said, rather bored. But the way his eyes darted around our living room told me he was anything but uninterested.

"So, are you glad you have a home? How did you end up in foster care? Why do you call yourself Fang?" She stopped after Mom mouthed "cut it" and swiped her hand across her neck.

"Uh, Ella, don't you have chores to do?" she asked, saving Fang the horror of facing Ella's 20 questions. "I'll help you today since I gave Max the day off."

"Aw, Mom, that's no fair! I hardly got to meet him, and he's so cute!" she whined as Mom dragged her toward the back door. I blushed at her statement, not that I thought he was cute or anything. I just thought that Fang would think that I thought he was cute, too. Cause, you know, if Ella thought so than why wouldn't her sister?

From the smirk he was giving me now, it proved my fear correct. Why'd I have to blush? Now he thinks that I think he's cute. Which I don't. Not that he isn't.

Jeez, I'm digging myself a grave. Forget I thought any of this.

He's so goddamn annoying. I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face.

"Well, I can show you around now, if you want," I said awkwardly, a little pissed at Ella and Fang.

He shrugged, so I took that as a yes. "This is the living room, obviously," I gestured to the room we were in. The wall by the kitchen was covered with pictures of Ella and me since we were babies, which was quite embarrassing. I forgot to take those down. In the far corner was the staircase I had so willingly descended only a week ago to meet with Jeb. The area we were standing on was a platform a step above the "leisure area", which had two leather couches and a TV. A bookshelf was on the opposite wall, filled with everything from Dr. Seuss to Advanced Genetics Books that Mom still used at her office.

We walked toward the kitchen. "It's no surprise what this is," I told him. He studied everything with inscrutable eyes. "Feel free to eat anything in the fridge at any time. I have the late-night munchies so Mom doesn't care." I pointed to a small corridor in the hall. "Down there is the laundry room and the pantry. Everyone does their own laundry here, so I hope you know how to."

"I've been in foster care for long enough," he said. "I think I know how to take care of myself."

I nodded and led him back into the living room and through the hallway by the book shelf. Three doors, two on the right and one of the left, lined the walls. The first on the right was open. "This is the bathroom you'll be using," I told him, letting him enter the open door. "Sadly, you're sharing this with my Mom, but she doesn't take too long in there. Be glad you don't have to share one with Ella." He half-smiled at that.

The door directly across from it was shut, and I motioned for him to open the door. He did. "This is your room," I said as he stepped in. "We used it as a guest room before, so sorry if it's a little empty. You can basically do anything you want to it, just as long as you keep it semi-clean." I chuckled and he smirked. The room was as basic as could be, with bare walls and plain white bed sheets. A small dresser sat opposite the bed, and a nightstand with a desk lamp was placed on its side.

"Sorry it's what you're stuck with," I said as he threw his bags on the bed. "Mom wouldn't let you have the upstairs bedroom."

"It's good," he said.

"I think she was afraid of having a boy in close proximity to us." I switched my weight on my feet uncomfortably as I watched him. He didn't seem to be upset, but it was hard to tell with him. The way he unpacked with a gentle accuracy, where I noticed all his clothing was black, was a good sign. I hoped.

"Or she was afraid of what your sister would do to me," he replied with the faintest hint of humor.

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "Do you want to stay here and let it all sink in or do you want to see the rest of the home? We didn't even cover the farm yet."

"I don't really have much to unpack anyway," he said dismissively as he placed the infamous sketchpad on the nightstand. "I can do that later." He walked away and headed in my direction.

"Okay…" I went on like a tour guide as we reentered the hall. "The last door on the right is my Mom's room. I don't think she'd mind if you went in, but it's not necessary." He nodded once curtly, but didn't proceed to enter, so I walked the other way. We traveled to the living room, up the stairs into my hallway. "There are three rooms and technically 'one-point-five' bathrooms, but all that real estate crap is a stupid way to say that there are really two bathrooms. My bedroom is down this hall," I said as I pointed to a little bend in the hall that led to my room. "Down this way are Ella's room, our bathroom, and the guest room that has its own bathroom, without a shower, though. The house doesn't seem that big, but it is. At least it's huge for the three of us."

I waited for him to say anything, but he just observed everything with silent curiosity. Maybe my hope was in vain.

"We're heading toward the farm," I said as we walked down the steps into the kitchen, making our way the back door. "You'll be well acquainted with it by the end of the week. Once we figure out how you'll be helping us. It might make you want to move out once you see what we have to do."

"Please don't move out!" Ella chirped from all the way across the backyard. She was by "The Pen" with Savannah, shoveling up some lovely droppings by the animals. Sarcasm there for ya folks!

"How hard can it be?" Fang asked, causing me to grin evilly.

"You wouldn't mind getting up at five AM to feed the animals?"

He shrugged indifferently. "It's better than doing nothing."

"At five AM? What normal teenager is up at that time?" I was beginning to question his sanity. Or at least his behavior.

"Just trust me, I'll be fine."

"Okay…"

"Hey, Fang," Mom called, walking up to us while wiping her hands on a towel. "How are you finding things around here?"

"It's different, but it's good, Ms. Martinez," Fang said politely. "I don't think it will be too hard of an adjustment."

"Good." Mom smiled at us. "Has Max been helpful?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I glared at him. He acts like the perfect gentleman around my mom, but to me he's a mask of mystery. A painting with an intriguing exterior yet you can't decipher what it's supposed to be. A poem where the words make sense but its message is unknown. I was determined to figure him out.

"Okay, Max, I'm going in to make dinner. I'll let you know when Jeb comes."

"Alright," I said through clenched teeth. Fang raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Don't like your dad?" he asked when Mom went inside.

"No, and you'll see why when you meet him." I walked toward the barn. "C'mon, I'll show you the rest of the property."

I introduced Fang to the pigs, sheep, and goats, to which they all scurried away from him. They were strange animals meeting a strange teen boy. Maybe they weren't used to seeing men. I'd heard that animals can gain fear of different genders, and those animals were stupid enough to be afraid insects. So it didn't surprise me. At the barn, I was grateful that Nudge wasn't there or else she'd be all over him, too. She and Ella were very similar in that sense. I even let him meet Gale, who greeted him with a friendly sneeze. The look on his face in response was hilarious. But I knew that if she liked him, than he wasn't too bad. We were winding up the tour when I saw Mom leaning outside the back door.

"Honey, Jeb's here," she called.

Oh boy, here we go.

* * *

**This is another filler chapter while I'm getting my writing mojo back. Yes people, there is such thing as one. I just got this really good idea of how I'm going to make this story go, but there is one little dilemma I need worked out. I posted a poll question on my profile that I'd love for people to answer. It'll take, like, two seconds really. Just a simple "Yes or No" question. So please take the time to answer it!**

**Sorry for the Twilight comparison, but it had to be done. I mean really, what guy is like that in real life??? And if one exists where do I find him?!?!?!**

**Review please! Reviews make the updates daily again!!**


	11. Defiance

**Chapter 11 - Defiance**

The house itself hadn't changed, but it felt as though it were somehow too small, like I was being caged in. There was no way of escaping him. I wondered if I bolted in the other direction now would anyone chase after me. The only person I could imagine outrunning me was Fang, but even then he'd have to be _really_fast to keep up with me. It would be so much easier if I could float away from my problems, similar to how clouds drift from one area to the next. Have the wind carry me wherever it chooses. Anything would be better than being in the same room with Jeb.

To my surprise, Fang went in the back door before me. As he entered he shot me a glance over his shoulder that said "I know you don't like the guy, but suck it up. He can't be _that_ bad." I wondered how it was possible for a person to communicate better with their eyes than their words, but with Fang the possibility wasn't unlikely. It was a skill of his.

I sighed and trudged in behind him, feeling like I was being led by an invisible collar around my neck. In the kitchen, the strong aroma of Mexican spices wafted from the stovetop. My stomach gurgled involuntarily. At the round dinner table in the corner, Mom was setting up a foldable chair for Jeb, whose lean form was currently resting against the wall. He adjusted his glasses and, for once, did not examine me like a patient. In fact, he didn't look at me _at all_.

His attention was solely on Fang.

I wondered what Jeb thought of Fang, since he claimed to have never met my "father" before. Fang definitely wasn't the type of kid who, by just looking at him, would leave a good impression on a dad. With his black wardrobe people often mistaken him as Gothic or Emo, but I was just beginning to learn form him that he was neither. His natural expression wasn't one of reception and warmth, either. The angles of his olive-toned face made him look threatening, and if he ever felt uneasy about someone, his glare would be just as menacing. I wondered if Jeb knew he would be facing someone just as closed off as I was.

"Hello, Fang," Jeb said, slinking forward and extending a slender hand in his direction.

I immediately felt the tension radiating from Fang, and I had to try hard not to snicker at him. He was the one who had earlier signaled for me to _suck it up_. But now it seemed like he was getting just as twitchy as I did around Jeb. His eyes darted all over the room then met mine for a moment before looking back my dad. He stuck out his hand in a jerking motion, as if his brain had relayed its message to move suddenly.

"I'm sorry, do you prefer Marco?" Jeb went on, eyeing Fang quizzically and with anticipation. "Valencia told me that you liked to be called Fang."

Fang didn't say anything. He just stared at Jeb with an empty gaze that held underlying danger.

"I heard about you from a friend of mine in Social Services," Jeb continued. "I'm sure you know Mrs. Boyd." He paused to see if Fang would respond, which he didn't. "I told her I knew the Martinez's were looking for a foster child, and when I heard that you went to the same school as Max I decided to give Valencia a call. I hope this wasn't too bad of a placement, and that Max is being kind to you." For the first time he looked at me, and I responded like the young adult that I was by glaring back at him.

"Dinner's ready!" Mom interrupted before the tension could escalate more. Ella ran down the steps into the kitchen and snagged a seat across from Fang, ogling him again. I sat in between him and Mom, isolating Jeb on the other side with a considerate gap between him and the rest of us. Mom had placed tacos on the table, knowing that Jeb wasn't too big of a fan of other Mexican dishes, along with Cajun rice and a steamed variety of vegetables.

We, as in Ella and I, attacked the food with eager hands. Fang sat back and observed to see what we were doing, learning what was the appropriate dinner-time protocol. Seeing that there really weren't any rules, he grabbed three tacos. Once everyone had gotten their food and was contentedly eating, the tension seemed to relax.

For a little while, anyway.

"Is there any way I could speak privately with you for a second, Fang?" Jeb asked after we were full and content.

I instantly stiffened. What was Jeb up to?

Fang shrugged, as was his trademark, and stood from his chair. He raised a questioning eyebrow at me, wondering what was going to happen. I just shrugged back, not having any clue what Jeb was doing.

* * *

Fang walked silently toward his room, considering several weighty questions in his mind. First of all, he wanted to know why Max's dad was so obsessed with him. He knew Max didn't like Jeb, and judging by how cryptic and strange he was, she had good reason. It was hard for Fang to show no emotion, to keep his calm demeanor as he walked to his room with queer doctor following him. After all, he did have a reputation to keep up, and despite his worst expectations of the upcoming conversation he wasn't going to run away.

They walked into the room, Fang's feet silently moving toward his bed, where he sat down on. Jeb's dress shoes tapped against the hardwood floor as he closed the door behind him. He paused for a moment to look at the teenager, which made Fang a little uncomfortable.

Fang brushed his dark bangs out of his eyes, getting a better look at the doctor. He wasn't anything like how he pictured Max's father to look like. Max had an athletic build, slim but strong. He could see where she got the height from, seeing that Jeb was about as tall as he was, measuring almost six feet. Her father was very thin, almost gangly looking. And he even had to admit somewhat that he was nerdy in appearance with his wire glasses and gray-streaked hair. He seemed like the kind of guy who looked harmless and yet somehow... foreboding. Like his lack of intimidation was a warning of danger. It was something that Fang couldn't properly explain.

"Well, you wanted to talk, so talk," he said impatiently, which to the untrained ear wouldn't have sounded any different from his normal tone of voice.

"I did want to speak to you for a moment," Jeb began, an inexplicable look of pride and something else in his eyes that Fang couldn't detect. "But I was a little sidetracked by finally getting to see you. It may sound odd but I feel attached to you."

This greatly confused Fang. "Why? It's not like you knew me before."

"Actually, I knew you prior to your placement in Social Services. I was acquainted with your mother, not your biological one but your adopted one." This news made Fang's expression freeze in place out of pure shock. He'd never told this to any of the social workers, so it more than surprised him to hear this stranger talk about his life. "This isn't the first time I've met you. The first time was so long ago, when you were a baby, so you don't remember me. Your adoptive mother and I used to work together before she died." Fang winced but continued to look at Jeb steadily. "Because I knew her, I felt it was my... duty to take care of you once you were older."

It took Fang a few seconds to find his tongue again. "Really, did you only want to bring up my past? Cause if that's what was so important, I want you out of my room _now_."

"I didn't come to speak of your past," he said ominously. "But of your future."

Fang raised an eyebrow skeptically, but his heart was racing in his chest. _What the hell is he talking about?_ he wondered.

"You see, I intervened on your behalf so that you would have a chance to choose your own path." The doctor paced the room with intermittent steps across the small space. "I understand that being a foster child, many people decide your life for you. But you've taken the first step by getting away from families that you felt uncomfortable with. Even at your young age, you have learned what works for you and why it is important make decisions that will benefit you. I wanted to keep you on this road, and in doing so I wanted to put you with a family that I know will never use you as their puppet. There are people out there who want to pull those strings for you, lead you in a different direction. It's imperative that you be independent, and not a pawn."

By now, sweat had beaded on the back of the teen's neck. His senses were on hyper drive, listening to someone who he had never met - well, apparently he had - and yet knew so much about his life. It freaked him. He only had one logical response.

"I know why Max doesn't like you," he said, trying hard to keep his voice from shaking. "You're insane! You don't know me. And by placing me here you're being hypocritical by _pulling the strings for me_. So leave before I twist your strings around your neck."

Jeb's lips quirked to one side in a smug half-smile. "That's what I wanted to hear, your defiance. Goodbye, Fang, and I'll see you soon." He walked out of the teen's room, leaving the door open.

Once Fang had heard his footsteps in the living room, he pounced on the door, closing it quickly. His back rested against the door as he slumped to the ground. Jeb's words still fresh in his mind, his breath came quickly as he tried to regain his composure. Not one thing that Jeb said hadn't been true, and that was what scared him the most about the man.

* * *

**I tried to make this chapter a little more interesting, although I'm having trouble writing. I'm still trying to find my mojo. I think he ran off. If anyone sees him, pm me. He's tall and has brown hair and brown eyes, with thick plastic glasses.**

**So far I only have eight voters on my poll. I know I have more readers than that! Seriously, it takes two seconds. Answer it or I'll be lost later on in the story. I might keep with the third person, Fang POV for a bit, too. Or at least for the next chapter, anyway, so I hope it wasn't too bad. **

**Reviews please!!**


	12. From the Eyes of a Dark Soul

**Chapter 12 – From the Eyes of a Dark Soul**

The afternoon summer sun was directly overhead, blaring down on Fang's back unbearably. He paused for a moment, resting his shovel against the fence, to wipe his brow with the back of his hand, the only clean part of him. He used the break to inhale deeply before getting back to his work.

It was Saturday, and judging from the position of the sun it was about noon. He was out earlier in the morning with Max and Ella for their first shift, but luckily the three of them were able to go through the routine quickly since he was now used to the system after five days of obeying their every command. Attend to the sheep, goats, pigs, horses. Clean them, feed them, wrangle them, exercise them… It was an endless cycle of care that would never be reciprocated. What was the point of having these animals if they served no purpose? He understood the need for sheep and horses, but all the others? Unless they ended up on the dinner plate, which they didn't, there really was no point.

Rays of heat blared down, causing objects in the distance to appear hazy, like a mirage. It wasn't unusual for the temperature at this time in September to have random spikes, but this was uncomfortably hot. There were no clouds in the sky so there was no relief from the discomfort. It seemed like time wasn't passing, and the heat was making the small beads of sweat drip down his olive skin.

Today girls scrambled their way to and from the barn, preparing their horses and gear for a major horse show tomorrow. He was beginning to recognize some of the faces of the women and girls who passed through, seeing them throughout the week when they would exercise their steeds or pick them up for a riding lesson. Even all the Martinez's were busy preparing. He'd never seen one of these events before – he'd never worked on a farm before – but he had no idea it took so much… time. So much work. His idea of taking care of an animal was cleaning a litter box or walking the dog, but horses were on a completely different level.

When he finished cleaning the riding ring from all traces of feces, he walked with shovel in tow to the barn. Which he just realized was pointless to clean, since more horses would be there the rest of the day. He walked through the large breach that led to the stalls. Dr. Martinez was standing by the rack where he placed the shovel.

"Hey Fang," she said to him with a smile. "How's the ring looking?"

He grabbed a towel from a shelf, cleaning his hands off. For the past five days, though, he felt like the stench of manure had permanently settled within the cracks of his callused hands. It was a very unattractive odor every time his hands neared his face, especially when he was eating food.

"It's clean," he replied, "for now."

She chuckled quietly. "That's the downside of owning horses, but it's worth it."

"Worth it for you," he muttered, more to himself.

She placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "It might seem like there's anything in it for you, but we really appreciate all the work you're doing for us. And an extra set of hands makes all the work easier. Especially having a guy around helps when we have to carry a heavy load. It's the joys of our family; we work as one and have fun as one. I hope you're not finding life too boring here. Max and Ella really enjoy having you around."

"I'm not thinking of leaving," he reminded her, a little shocked hearing that Max liked his company. Ella was a given, but Max? She was a lot harder to impress. "I need to get used to the work."

She smiled again. "I'm sure it will get better. Were you planning on joining us for the show tomorrow?"

With that he peeled off his permeated t-shirt, which he was thankful that was black or else the sweat would be visible, and draped it over his shoulder. "No, I'm staying here. I can handle getting up at five AM, but any earlier is where I draw the line."

"But the season ends next month."

"I'll go later, once I'm better adjusted."

_Does she ever stop smiling?_ he wondered, as she sent another one in his direction. "I understand, and I think you're almost done for the day. You deserve the rest of the day off, but before you go in I want you to move the hay bales from the roadside to the supply shed."

"Okay," he said, relieved that he was about to get the rest of the day to himself. He was ready to lie down in front of the air conditioning and drink a jug of water.

He exited the barn, heading down the long driveway to the road where he could already see the large piles of hay that had been delivered earlier. He had no idea why the deliverers couldn't take it to the shed themselves, but he wasn't going to bitch about it. It was mindless, easy work that only required a bit of brawn. He wasn't terribly muscled, but he was strong, stronger than Max even, and that was saying something.

On his second trip to the roadside he noticed Ella and Monique, the rich girl who he met on Tuesday, trotting their horses together along the fence surrounding the Martinez's property. He never asked Monique, mostly because he couldn't get a word in with her and really he didn't want to, but he knew her family had money if they drove a Bentley. As they approached, they noticed him without a shirt on and giggled uncontrollably, their faces flushed with excitement. He ignored their enjoyment with the scene, but not without smirking and feeling a little satisfied.

When they thought they were out of earshot, they gushed to each other about him. "Oh, my God, did you see his abs!"

"Yeah, and they're hot!"

"You're so lucky you live with him!"

"I know, _riiiight?"_

Their laughter faded the farther they got from him. He sighed; the attention was a burden, especially from Ella. It was hard not to enjoy when others find you attractive, but when it's _obsessive_, it's downright annoying. He bent his knees to help lift the bales, and once he got a good grip he preceded to the shed.

He was on his last trip to the shed, and he felt his lips twitch into an involuntary smile. It was hard to break his usual mask of impassiveness, but this was a special occasion. Relief was minutes away…

Max walked out of the shed, detangling her blond hair from its braid to fix it into a messy bun. She was in a tank top and her riding pants and boots. Once she finished, she grabbed one bale and was heading toward the barn until she spotted him standing several yards away. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but stare at her for a little too long, noticing how the form-fitting outfit accentuated her curves, something that she usually hid. She didn't seem to observe his keen glance, though.

He walked up to her and she raised an eyebrow, looking at his topless self. "Whoa, who are you showing off for?" she asked sarcastically.

His returning smile was smug. "Why, you like it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Uh huh, oh Fang I can't keep my eyes off of you," she mocked, and they instantly thought of the same person once she said it.

"Where you going?" he asked, taking the hay into the shed.

"I'm taking this to Gale and the other horses." She lifted a smaller bale to prove her point.

When he finished, he slumped unto a stack like it was a seat and let out a collective sigh. Max was still standing in the doorway, watching him. He brushed his long hair off his neck and removed the moisture that was building up there.

"Hot day," he said awkwardly, for once trying to initiate the conversation. It was obvious he didn't have much practice in this department.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's supposed to reach ninety. You should get a haircut. Or at least pull it back so it won't be as hot."

He snorted. "It'll be fall soon, so it won't matter."

"Whatever, don't cut your precious locks then." He shot her the bird and she grinned back. She was so annoying, he thought, but nothing like her father. Thank God for that.

"So you do this all year long, not taking any breaks?" She knew what he was referring to.

"Yup, all year."

"Even in winter?"

"Yeah, it can get rough, but if you bundle up you're good. We don't do as much when it's colder, mostly because we can't exercise the horses outside. We usually take the horses to an indoor facility a few times a week instead."

"So there aren't any days off?"

"Only when someone is sick, but taking a day off sucks for the others because they have one less pair of hands to help them."

He thought of the day when Max had that migraine and Dr. Martinez gave her the day off, volunteering to do the work for her. Before he had no idea why she offered to help Ella, but the past five days made him realize that doing the work alone would be torture. It would probably never get done.

"Why? Are you already sick of all the work?" she asked with some undertone of superiority.

"No, I'm just tired of shoveling the shit,"he admitted honestly. "The rest is okay."

Glad that his day was over, he rose from the hay bale. "What are you doing now?" she asked him.

"Going in. Your mom gave me the rest of the day off."

"That's not fair," she joked. "Act like a man and stay with us all day."

"Yeah right," he said with a quick laugh. "I want to go in to the land of air conditioning and fresh clothes. Have fun the heat."

He ducked around her, but not without receiving a quick jab to the arm. She laughed and shook her, walking off toward the barn. He stood outside for a moment, watching her go, before heading back to the house for a much needed shower.

* * *

**As promised, this was a Fang chapter. I think it has a little of everything to make everyone happy, so I hope I didn't butcher people's view of our favorite Dark Soul. And FreeSpirit329, the summary said that it was a Fax story, so there are hints of a one-sided Fax so far, but nothing serious is gonna happen... right now anyway.**

**Thanks a bunch to everyone who reviewed. It totally made my day!! :D I think I found my mojo again. He was hiding in the closet, or at least that's what he said he's been doing for the past few days. *rolls eyes* And no HaLf CrAzY HaLf DaRk. AlL JeSs, he isn't nerdy looking at all. He's quite hot, once he takes off the glasses, but he's really shy so I only see him once in a blue moon. ****But a special thanks goes out to Blissful-x-Optimism for your awesome review!! And in appreciation, I wanted to answer your questions, but WARNING: IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE INSIDER INFO ABOUT THE STORY, DON'T READ!!! Now that I put this down everyone will read it. :P**

**1) ****Well, originally I had planned for them to, but now I'm not so sure. To me it seems a bit awkward to all of a sudden have _fourteen feet wide_ wings popping out of your back randomly. It would be like, "Hello, um, where were you all of my life?" I could do the whole Total thing and have them sprout tiny and then grow… but that seems really weird too. I haven't decided officially what I'm doing as far as the wing situation is, but I'm getting there.**

**2) ****Jeb? Evil? Nah. ;) No seriously, he's strange and creepy in this story, but honestly he is by no means evil. He just is a little socially awkward, so everything he says comes across as unusual.**

**3) ****Yes and no. She understands that Max has a purpose, but she doesn't know the extent of it.**

**4) ****Yeah, I seriously hate pigeons. And I'm afraid of flying crap too. So the two together don't make a pleasant combination.**

**5) ****She thinks Fang is hot, but if/when Max finally realizes it too, Ella isn't gonna interfere. She has Middle School boys to occupy her time with. **

**6) ****Yes, most, if not all, the powers will be incorporated at some point. I may even add new ones, but I'm not completely sure yet.**

**7) ****Is Max going to have a Voice? That's like asking if _I _have a Voice.**

**8) ****Who knows? You might even have _voices_ in your head at some point.**

**9) ****Fang's history isn't completely explained yet – he'll tell Max everything he knows later on – but there are parts of it that he doesn't know. As far as what Jeb said, I'll elaborate a bit. When Fang was a baby, he was adopted by a woman who he worked with. When he was 5, she died, and since they couldn't locate any other family he was put in foster care. He'd been placed in several homes, but at every one he felt really uncomfortable so he either a) ran away or b) did something to either make the family not want him or make Social Services believe they weren't capable of taking care of him properly. He's a clever little one.**

**10) ****Hmmm… I didn't know that. I'll have to try it sometime.**

**11) ****Okay…not really a fan personally. But that's just little ol' weird me. They filmed part of the second movie right by where I play hockey at. I never saw cameras there, but it was at an old steel factory that has _the_ coolest looking furnaces I've ever seen.**

**12) ****As of right now, no. Please refer to question 1 again.**

**13) ****Yummy! Quesadilla! Sure, I'm hungry too. I'll ship it out to ya right now!**

**14) ****No, actually the first time I read this I was laughing so hard. I needed some good entertainment; it's hilarious!**

**15) ****Seriously, no, refer to the previous question. It was a good up lifter**

**16) ****Not really, I'm really random too, so I understand. :)**

**17) ****Yah to boredom! :P**

**18) ****I didn't know that either. I'm so out of touch with anything mainstream, I'm lucky I knew that Michael Jackson died.**

**19) ****That'd be a new one. Add that to the list: vampires, werewolves, freakishly-hot mutant bird kids, autobots. **

**20) ****Hahahaha!!! Now that's cruel. ;)**

**21) ****… to you too**

**22) ****I've been like that before. Lack of sleep puts me in a bizarrely drunk state of mind. Not that you sound drunk or anything. ;)**

**23) ****FANG!!!!!**

**24) ****Ralph Lauren? Lacoste?**

**This was fun. Let's do it again! **

**Review please!!! And take the poll!!!!!**


	13. Musings of Fang

**Chapter 13 – Musings of Fang**

The scurrying footsteps around from upstairs and down the hall alerted Fang that the ladies of the home were up. He laid in bed, listening to their busy tracks pounding from all directions, seemingly teleporting from one area of the house to the other within seconds. Then again, he could have been dozing off. It was too early for him to know for sure. No one should ever get up at… he raised his head groggily to look at the clock on his nightstand. Four thirty. No one can function properly at that time, and yet they still got up to prepare for a horse show. He sighed and let his head drop on the fluffy pillow, letting himself settle back into a deep sleep.

At some point when he was unconscious, an image passed through his mind, so fast and sudden that he wasn't sure he ever saw anything. It came together and disappeared like a virtual jigsaw puzzle. Bits of decaying wood, broken metal, ripped fabric, all coming together to form a picture that was like throwing random figures together. He didn't understand it, and when the image faded, he woke up with a start.

He couldn't remember why he'd woken up, or what he had even seen, but he knew that something had happened to him. Trying to dispel the unusual feeling, he shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. He permitted himself to glance at the clock again, only to see that it was ten in the morning. It was Sunday, so he knew he could go back to sleep, but the warning signal in the back of his mind advised him it was best to go on with the day. Besides, he was feeling a little claustrophobic in his small room anyway.

Pushing the bed sheets off of him, he shuffled out of bed. He considered staying in his boxers and a beater all day, but then he thought better of it and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. Since he'd moved in, Dr. Martinez let him change his room however he desired, which he really hadn't done much to so far. He exchanged the plain white sheets for black and gray ones, and he put up only one poster: an old, battered tribute to his idols, the Blues Brothers. She also promised to take him shopping so he could add to his wardrobe, which only took up two drawers in the dresser.

There was nothing really to do since Dr. Martinez told him not to worry about taking care of the animals. He retrieved the morning paper and let it rest on the kitchen counter, not in the mood to read it. He fixed a bowel of cereal and a glass of orange juice, and then sat in the living room. The TV flickered to life as he pressed the remote. The first channel to pop up was the weather and he scrunched his nose in distaste. He flipped through everything. Twice. But he realized that it was Sunday morning, so people were either at church or still sleeping. Settling on the local news station, he chewed on his cereal meticulously.

"Back to our leading story," the dyed-blond reported with too much makeup on announced, looking at the screen seriously. "Reports of missing kids within the local area have popped up at an alarming rate. Police say that the amount of reports filed in the past three months was twice as many as there had been in the last two years."

He stopped chomping on his food to listen with quiet attentiveness, taking in every detail.

"There are no patterns in the children that have disappeared, whose ages range from eighteen year-olds to newborns, and have different ethnic backgrounds. Local and state police have been on the case now haven't found any traces of these children, which makes their parents fear the worst." The screen switched from a slideshow of the missing children to footage of their parents crying. Fang had seen enough as he turned the TV off.

_Damn, what's up today?_ He wondered as he tried to ignore the sudden clenching of his stomach. The report didn't sit well with him. He didn't realize that his hand was constricting his knee until it began to throb painfully.

Determined to make the day better, he finished his breakfast and placed his dishes in the sink. He went back to his room to grab some school books to get his homework done, but that really didn't occupy his mind too well. He thought of many things, most of them not related at all. First he thought of having the home to himself, reveling in the freedom from chores. His only fear of this event was Social Services suddenly showing up at the front door to check on how he was doing. Seeing him here alone would not go over well with them. And he really didn't want to leave so soon.

He wondered why this home was so different from all the others he had been in. The previous places had been like rest stops, or a hotel, even, not that he'd ever been in one. A place to stay that was different from the norm of an orphanage. It didn't hold any sentimental feelings to it. And the people who he lived with made him feel… uneasy to say the least. He couldn't explain why, but he always felt like eyes were on his every move.

But the Martinez home was different. He actually felt like he belonged, that this workaholic family had something that was missing in all the other locations. It was actually a home, a refuge. He could feel the love that Dr. Martinez felt toward Max and Ella, and her love was fully reciprocated by them. She truly cared about Fang, wanted him to like it here. Wanted it to work out with their family. It had only been six days, but this was the most at home he had felt since he was a little child. And besides his motherly-figure, Ella and Max loved having him around. With Ella it was obvious, since she would go to school to blab to her friends that "_we're housing a total hottie!!_", as she put it. Max at first was a little shocked that he was staying with them, but watching him work his ass off every morning had warmed her up to him a bit. He noticed when she would smile at him, or act receptive, as opposed to treating him like a coworker – or maybe more like a trainee with the way she bossed him around. He wondered how someone like her was related to someone like Jeb.

That brought his thoughts to a whole new subject. How did Jeb know so much about Fang? He never told anyone at Social Services that he was adopted _before _he got there, although he was sure it was in their his records somewhere. Why was Jeb so concerned about Fang's future? What was important about it? Why was he glad that Fang had bounced from home to home? And the most significant question, why did he get Fang placed here? What was so special about the Martinez home, besides what he thought of earlier? There was something about Jeb that freaked him, yet at the same time he couldn't ignore what he said. Sometimes he was just as confusing as his daughter.

* * *

We pulled into our driveway at around 7 at night, but until we got all the horses settled into their stalls we didn't get inside our home until much later. When we entered, I saw lying back on the couch reading a book. I pushed his feet off the end cushion and sat down so I could get a better look at what he was reading.

"_Daniel X_?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He looked at me pointedly. "Yeah. Something against it?"

"I didn't see that as a kind of story you'd be into," I said, remembering Daniel's temporary relationship with Phoebe and his affection toward Dana. But then again the story was packed with action. And all the plot twists.

"Well, it is a _page-turner_," he joked, pinching a section of pages with his fingers. "I read this much in the past two hours." I rolled my eyes at him, but I had to admit he was a faster reader than I was. I hated admitting he had something over me. "How was the show?" he asked as he set the book down.

I held out several ribbons for him to look at. "I participated in seven events and I placed in six of them," I said proudly. "The best I got was second." I showed him the red ribbon. "Gale was showing beautifully, so she made my day so much easier. You have no idea how much an uncooperative horse can effect the outcome of a show."

"Congrats," he said, actually sort of smiling. I'm sure I was gaping at him, and the terse look he shot me a second later proved my notion correct.

Ella chatted excitedly to Mom as they walked into the kitchen and prepared leftovers for dinner. As much as I wanted to show off, only because Fang was the one person I really could do that with besides James, I had a more dire issue. "I'll be down in a bit," I announced to Mom as I headed up the stairs for the bathroom. I gingerly pulled off my smelly riding clothes and twisted the shower knob so a gentle stream of cool water poured into the tub. I removed my hair tie as I stepped in.

The cool water felt wonderful, and I welcomed it gratefully. It was an amazing feeling to have water rushing past you, letting it wash away all traces of the day, having the good and the bad pour down the drain. I didn't want to stay in long since my stomach was as ravenous as a hungry lion. When I finished, I turned the water off and stepped out. I slipped on my robe and reached for the door…

That's when I screamed bloody murder.

* * *

**I added another Fang chapter just because I felt like it, but I think this is the last of Fang we'll see for a while (everyone sobs now). I feel kind of bad for leaving the chapter off here, but I'm afraid my mojo ran off again. Now I have to go looking for him again. Ugh. Why can't he learn how to associate with people??? **

**So I have some good news and bad news. The bad news is that our desktop at home has suddenly decided that it doesn't want to work any more. The good news is I managed to get the internet working on the lapdop, so I can continue the story! But the one side of that is that our home has wireless internet, and for whatever reason the laptop can't find the network, so it only works when I plug it into the router. **

**Again, please review cause they make me very happy and to anyone who hasn't voted please vote for my poll!!!**


	14. A Voice of Reason?

**Chapter 14 – A Voice of Reason?**

_Oh no, oh God no! Please not again!_ I screamed in my head as I limply fell to the ground. My body curled in on itself, my arms snaking around my head to keep it from exploding, although I considered letting it happen just to get rid of the pain. This one was far worse than the migraine I had at school. It was more debilitating, if that was possible, so much that the pain rippled through all corners of my body. I swore I could feel it in my fingernails and the ends of my hair. It was too much; I wanted someone to take a jack hammer and drill my skull into oblivion.

The same strange images from earlier danced across my eyelids. Texts, manuscripts, hieroglyphics? I couldn't recognize anything; they were like random shapes or a completely new language. Maybe it was Chinese or Russian or Greek. It seemed to flip through like turning the pages of a book, so fast that even if there was something I would be able to read I couldn't make it out.

Some pictures of places that I weren't familiar with passed through my mind. Large buildings, science labs, something that looked like my school. It was really hard to figure these things out when it felt like my brain was going to leak out my ears.

Loud banging at the door vibrated painfully through my eardrums. Didn't they know that it only made the aching worse?

"Max, are you okay?" Mom asked. Normally I would have sucked it up and told her everything was okay so I wouldn't have to hear concern, but I couldn't do that when I was dying. As much as I would love to, it's hard to send reassuring words when you feel like any time you open your mouth you'll scream.

"Max?" Fang asked, and I instantly felt self conscious. He'd seen me like this before, but two times was too many. After days of bossing him around, I hated to appear weak in anyone's eyes, especially his.

The door creaked open at first, but then it was shoved against the wall as footsteps stormed in. "Max! What happened, honey?" Mom asked again. I could imagine the sight they were seeing; me curled up on the ground, contorted in agony, tears streaming down my face. I would have taken their feelings into consideration if I could help it, but since I was more concerned about the porcupine that seemed to unleash its needles in my brain. My head was probably going to erupt like a volcano.

"Is it your head?" Fang asked, from somewhere very close by. I was glad I put my bathrobe on, I thought somewhere in the back of my mind.

"Max?" Ella's voice sounded very young and scared.

Someone's smooth hand pressed against my forehead, and I flinched away from the contact. As soft as it should have been, it felt like a sledge hammer was pounding where the hand had been. "She's burning up," Mom said, her voice shaking.

The pain started to ebb away, ever so slightly. As in, I realized again with some dissatisfaction that I wasn't going to die. If I had to go through this one more time, I wished it would have killed me. It was too much trouble.

I heard a whimper, and then I realized that it came from me. This wasn't supposed to happen. I was a tough girl, right? At least that's what I always thought. I'd been through injury and illnesses, so I should be able to take a migraine. Shouldn't I?

My mind cleared out better while I felt the acute stinging recede to wherever the source of it came from. I was aware of eyes on me, of people close by. I knew my family and Fang were here, but I was a little embarrassed to look at them. My body became less tense and they noticed.

"Are you feeling better?" Mom asked, shaking my shoulder gently.

I swatted her hand away. "Don't do that. It hurts my head."

"Oh, sorry."

I opened my eyes. She was smiling apologetically, but I could see the worry in her eyes. I felt bad for snapping at her, but she understood. I could only imagine what she was thinking, that her daughter must have some kind of terminal illness. At least that would be an answer, but knowing me it was something far more complicated than that. And I wasn't about ready to let her take me to a doctor, especially to Jeb.

The thought of a doctor made me suddenly feel a lot better. I would do anything to keep away from them. I forced myself up to rest on my arms, gritting my teeth a bit. I still felt crappy, but well enough to be kept away from a hospital.

"Do you think you can get up?" Mom asked.

"We'll see," I replied. I took in a few testing breaths and tried to push myself off from the ground. Clearly the brain attack had left my body in a somewhat paralyzed or catatonic state, or at least a lot weaker than normal. I really tried, and Mom helped support me, but I couldn't find my legs and I collapsed back to the ground.

"I can take her to her room." Fang stepped forward from behind me. His face was unemotional, as always, but his lips and eyes were drawn into tight lines. I was trying to decipher what those motions meant on someone as apathetic as him, but I was more concerned about him helping me.

"Let me try again," I said stubbornly. I didn't want him helping me. I could take care of myself.

He took a step back and motioned for me to give it another shot, sending me a glance that said "fine, act like a child".

I wiped at the dried tears that caked my cheeks, feeling them brush off my skin with little cracks. Despite the pain, I had sheer determination on my side. The only thing I hate more than this freakin' migraine was showing weakness or needing help. I could do this, without Fang's help. My face scrunched in concentration, fighting the searing pain that shot through my head with every movement. I struggled, but eventually got into a somewhat upright standing position. I smiled at my success, but everyone else watched me cautiously.

"I'm fine," I said again as I took a step.

Which clearly showed that I wasn't fine, because I wobbled and was about to take a spill until I felt strong, wiry arms catch me. I looked up to see Fang smirking at me, his eyes clearly saying "I told you so". But their hardness also showed me how apprehensive he was. I glared at him, but was thankful that he caught me. It was better than letting me fall again.

"Let's go to your room," he offered once more, letting me lean most of my weight on his left side. I grumbled quietly to myself but let him help me.

"I'll go grab you some food," Mom said, still looking worried. I smiled in appreciation to let her know that I was starving. She nodded and took Ella downstairs with her.

"You okay?" Fang asked seriously now that we were alone.

We came to my room and he helped me sit on my bed. "Yeah, I'm fine," I repeated with some finality. I barely noticed the minute throbbing that was still pulsing in my brain.

He sighed, his hand still holding my arm. "You know, if there's ever anything wrong, you can tell me." He looked at me significantly. His eyes, usually unexpressive, showed me some deep emotion that I couldn't fully read, but were also sincere. I knew I could trust him with anything, even if I haven't known him for a terribly long time.

"Okay," I told him. An inexplicable lump formed in my throat at the promise.

He looked at me considerably again and his hand trailed down my arm and lingered on my hand, a bit too long for my comfort. I was confused by the gesture, but he walked toward the door before I could question it much further.

_Hello, Max._

I looked back towards Fang. "Did you say something?" I asked him, hearing someone say my name.

He turned around and looked confused. "Um, no."

"Oh, I thought I heard my name," I said stupidly.

He rolled his eyes and left my room.

It was obvious that I was going insane.

_Sometimes the answers to our problems aren't always obvious_, said a voice.

My eyes shot open in alarm. I searched the room frantically, looking for a phone or walkie talkie or anything that would give off sound to prove that I was _only joking_ when I said that I was going insane.

_You aren't insane, Max, _the voice went on. _You're here for a purpose._

"Huh?" I said out loud. Where was this voice coming from? I checked under the bed but found nothing. "If this is some kind of sick joke I swear –"

"What's a sick joke?" Mom asked, coming into my room with a plate of food and a glass of water.

"Nothing," I muttered. I straightened up, trying not to look embarrassed.

She set the dishes on my desk in the corner. "I want you to eat something now so you won't be as dizzy. And go to bed early." I nodded and she smiled in relief. As soon as she left I closed the door quickly.

"Okay, I don't know who you are but I want you gone," I grumbled angrily.

_You may consider me to be a friend, but I like to think of myself as a Voice of Reason,_ it said. I noticed that I couldn't refer to the voice as anything specific because it didn't sound like a man or a woman. Like a computer generated voice, in a way.

_A Voice of Reason?_ I scoffed in my head. _You can step off your high horse any time you want._

I swore I heard the Voice chuckling, _in my head_.

_So, what are you doing inside my mind? _I asked. I started to panic a bit, I mean, hearing voices in my head? Isn't that like the textbook definition of being insane? Are the asylum workers gonna show up at our front door with large needles and straight jackets? Just the thought of it made me shudder.

_I already told you,_ it said as if it were talking to a five-year-old. _You must learn how to trust if you are to succeed in your Cause._

_I have a Cause? Doesn't that sound cliché? I'm not a hero._

_Don't be so sure of that._

I paused, trying to make sense of what it was saying. If hearing voices in your head labialized someone as being insane, then talking back to them is a step beyond just normal craziness. What kind of treatment does that entitle?

_What do you mean 'I have to learn how to trust?'_ I asked, going back to what it said earlier. _I can trust perfectly fine. In fact, I trust my mom so much that I'm gonna tell her that I'm insane 'cause I have a voice in my head._ Did I really want to tell her I had voices – well, just one voice – in my head? I wasn't sure.

_Are you sure that's what you _want_ to do?_

_What are you talking about? She's my _Mom! _Of course I should do it._

It didn't respond, which instantly set flags off in my mind. Not only was I going crazy, but the voice in my head was crazy, too. How did it know I didn't want to tell my mom?

_Are you saying I should tell Ella instead? _I asked, feeling my headache coming back on. I rubbed my forehead in irritation.

_Don't think too hard about it_, it said cryptically. Great, I knew the Voice for like two minutes and I already was sick of it. Does it have a cage I can lock it in? _Remember what you agreed to before._

I tried to think about what the hell it was talking about. What I agreed to before? I didn't agree to anything with the Voice. But was that what it was referring to? I told Mom I would eat and get some sleep, not that I was tired or hungry anymore. Was that it? I didn't see how it solved my problem.

_Before then, _it prompted.

Even greater, it can read my thoughts. Just lovely. But let's see… before then I was in the bathroom when I got the migraine. I fell down a few times, I remembered screaming at least once, and I knew I cried. Mom, Ella, and Fang ran in to help me. Fang helped me back to my room, our conversation… Fang.

_Fang?_ I asked it. He was the only person left in the house anyway, so I hoped he was who the Voice wanted me to talk to.

_Trust is an important characteristic. When you can find it in a friend, it is important to use it to your advantage._

"So I should talk to him?" I said out loud without realizing it. I rubbed at my head again in frustration. Why couldn't it just give me a straight answer?

_Trust your gut,_ it said, and I sighed. I figured that was the best answer I was going to get out of it. If I had to deal with it every day for the rest of my life, or even for the next week, I swear I was going to shoot myself.

"This is gonna be a problem," I muttered.

* * *

**Yah, I reached 70 reviews! :D Thank you all you lovely reviewers for keeping this going. If it weren't for you I definitely wouldn't be able to keep up this pace. I'd like to thank Rukiwolff95 for pointing out a mistake I made earlier. I can't believe I didn't catch that before. I'll have to change it. BTW, was this fast enough for you??? I'm not a sucker for puppy eyes, but I do like reviews. :P Blissful-x-Optimism, I know how annoying the iTouch's can be when it comes to typing. I used my friend's a lot during school and it corrected every time I typed my name in. And thanks for the advice. If I give them wings, that's probably how they'll get them. Kina Kalamari, I'm not sure how long Fang can keep his silence in the story. I mean, I didn't plan on introducing Nudge for a while and look what happened? Fang might come back as soon as Chapter 16. Actually, he probably will come back then. Turtle787, my mojo makes appearances now and then - he came out to watch the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest. He also watched Rugby with me earlier. For being such a scaredy cat he loves extreme sports. Who knew??**

**Happy Fourth of July to all you fellow Americans!!**

**Please Review!!!**


	15. This Just Keeps Getting Weirder

**Chapter 15 – This Just Keeps Getting Weirder**

I was too wired up to go see Fang immediately after my conversation with the Voice. I mean, what would he think? How do people react when you say that you have a voice in your head? Will they call the loony bin on me? Or worse, would Fang laugh in my face? Normally I don't care about those kinds of things, but it was Fang. I get to boss him around on the farm, and if he thinks I'm insane – no comments from the peanut gallery, please – than he won't take me as seriously. Then again, why should I care what he thinks? If he knows I'm insane, then he should be afraid of me and be even more submissive.

I sighed. The Voice told me to trust him, but the real question was could I trust it?

This was going to take a lot of effort on my part, to open up to someone aside from my mom. She always was my rock, the person I depended on most. But what the Voice said early made me uneasy. I could trust her with this, couldn't I? What was worse was that I had a suspicion that it was right.

If I was actually going to do this, to tell Fang, I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. There was no way I was having him see me again in only my bathrobe. I pulled some shorts and a beater out of my drawer and slipped them on. My stomach felt as twisted as a pretzel, so I knew I couldn't eat anything right now. I took a sip of water, inhaled deeply, and walked out of my room.

His room was just below mine downstairs, so the walk itself only lasted a few seconds. I spotted Ella in the living room watching TV and Mom in the kitchen washing dishes. None of them seemed to notice me. _I can do this,_ I encouraged myself as I stood outside his door. _I can do it. Just knock…_ I lifted my fist.

_Go on, Max,_ the Voice said.

I grimaced. _Go away, I can do this alone._

_Just be prepared,_ it advised.

_Prepared for what? How I'm going to tell him that I'm crazy? Just leave me alone._

I was grateful when it didn't reply.

Okay, back to the plan. I took in a deep breath and knocked. It took a second before Fang said from the other side, "Who is it?"

'It's Max," I said quietly. I peered into the living room to see Ella's attention fully on some MTV show. That was good. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Come in," he said.

_Good, now just go in. He'll be suspicious if you don't in the next to seconds. _My body reacted before my mind could stop it and I twisted the knob. I peeked inside to see where Fang was, but the room was dark. The only light was from the lamp on the nightstand, which the bulb was going out so it casted a pretty dim glow. I opened to door further and stepped in.

"Fang?" I asked.

"What?"

That's when I really started to freak. I heard his voice, but I couldn't see him anywhere. Was he in the bathroom? I was about to turn around. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Are you in the bathroom?" I asked, but it was stupid of me wondering since the door was wide open and clearly no one was in it. "Or are we playing hide and seek? Isn't this childish?" I laughed a little plastically, trying to hide my discomfort.

"What are you talking about? I'm right here." I heard his voice from the bed, but I didn't see him. My heart pounded unsteadily.

"Stop trying to scare me." My voice shook. If he was pulling a prank, he would have to be prepared to face the wrath of Max. He would learn soon enough that you do _not_ pull a fast one on me without facing the consequences.

"Max, I'm right here!" I still couldn't see him. The springs in his mattress creaked as if someone had gotten off of it, and I stared at it in utter distress. Oh, my God.

"What are you trying to pull?" his voice thundered from very close by.

"Aaaahhh!!!" I screamed as loud and high as a horribly petty girl in a bad horror movie. Fang was standing right in front of me, looking down with a hard, questioning gaze. I was so shocked that I fell backwards. It took a few seconds for me to compose myself before I realized how embarrassed I was to have screamed like that.

"What's going on?" Ella asked frantically, looking in his room. She looked extremely confused, seeing me on the floor with Fang standing over me. I'm sure it didn't look good from her perspective. There were two separate ways she could process what was going on, both of them bad for different reasons. I gulped.

"Uh, Fang just pulled a prank on me," I said a little unsteadily. I forced myself to laugh, but it sounded unnatural.

Ella looked toward Fang for a confirmation. "Yeah, uh, I wanted to scare her."

She laughed in disbelief. "Oh man, if there's one thing you learn in this house it's that you _never_ scare Max. She's gonna get you big time for this." I smiled at her for knowing me so well.

He snorted. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

"Whatever, it's your head," she said with another laugh. She walked back to the living room to watch the rest of her show.

I looked at him tersely. "That was _not_ funny," I said in a hushed whisper. "What the hell was that?"

"What do you mean?" he said just as steely. "I was on my bed the whole time. What the hell were _you_ doing?"

"No you weren't. The first time I saw you was when I started screaming. You had to have been hiding behind the door or something." The more I rambled, the more I realized how stupid and pointless this was. It dawned on me with a cold realization that he wasn't lying.

_I told you to be prepared_, the Voice chimed in its annoying way.

"Shut up," I muttered.

Fang's eyebrows furrowed at me. "I didn't say anything," he said, looking really confused and a little afraid, if that were at all possible for him. "And I swear I was on my bed the whole time. I was reading _Daniel X_." He pointed to the nightstand and I saw the book resting beneath the lamp. "Maybe you're going blind."

"Obviously not if I can see you right now, idiot." He offered me a hand and I took it, not trusting my legs this time. My head still wasn't better and he nearly gave me a heart attack.

"So what does that mean?" he wondered as he closed the door and then led us to the bed. We sat down, feeling the springs lowering to accommodate our weight.

I scooted a couple inches away and fiddled with my hands so I could avoid his eyes. "I think…" I took a deep breath. "I think you were just invisible," I whispered. _Right?_ I asked the Voice.

As expected, it didn't answer.

"Are you crazy?" For once, his voice wasn't impassive and flat. It sounded seriously puzzled and irritated and even a little… frightened? It's hard to tell with him. Whenever he does display emotions they sound unnatural. On him, anyway. "I wasn't invisible… was I?"

I sighed. "I think you were. I didn't see you at all, and then all of a sudden you showed up in front of me. There is no other explanation. And I was warned to be prepared for something –" I cut myself off before I said anything else.

"What?" he asked, desperate. "You knew this was going to happen?"

"Not exactly…" I began, looking at the floor. _Okay, Max, just do it. You have to tell him anyway._ "I was told that I should be prepared by… uh… my Voice."

My cheeks were splashed with pink. I couldn't believe I just said it, even though I knew I could trust him. It just makes me feel that much more insane to admit that I had a voice in my head, ya know?

He was silent for a few seconds, pondering what I said and how he's supposed to say something to it. "_What?_" he finally determined was the best response.

"I have a Voice in my head," I admitted, suddenly feeling very self conscious. This was it. I was letting him know of something that I didn't want to tell my mom. All because the freakin' Voice told me to. If having a voice is the first level of insanity, and talking back is the second, then listening to it must be off the charts as far as lunacy goes.

_You're doing the right thing,_ it said.

I wanted to scream at it. _Oh sure, now you pop up. Are you here for moral support when he starts cussing me out for being a lunatic?_

_Wait and see._

"A voice? In your head?" he said slowly. I wasn't looking at him, but I knew he was looking at the floor too. "Since when?"

That snapped my attention to him. "That's all you want to know? _Since when????_"

He shrugged and looked up to meet me glance. "Yeah, I was just thinking –"

"That what? That I'm psycho? I know you think I'm crazy! Just say it." I looked away from him, preparing for his assault.

What I wasn't prepared for was his rough hand gently caressing my chin, pulling my face in his direction. He waited till I looked him in the eye. When I did, all I saw in his black eyes were my reflection. "I was thinking... what if they're connected?" he said softly.

"What's connected?" I asked naively after a moment of silence.

He rolled his eyes. "My invisibility. Your Voice. They're connected somehow. Now all we need to do is figure it out. Do you have any idea about why this is happening?"

"No."

_Yes you do_, the Voice said. _You just haven't put the pieces together._

_What the heck are you talking about? Are you saying that Fang is right? Are you and the invisibility connected? _

_Everything that happens is a part of the big picture, Max_.

"Thanks a lot," I grumbled.

"What?" Fang looked confused.

"Oh, uh, the Voice," I said, feeling my cheeks blush again.

"Oh, right."

* * *

**Like I said last chapter, I think the next chapter will be a Fang one. I'm just not sure if it will take place just moments after this conversation or the next day at school. If anyone has an idea, let me know. Jacob Black Ooft. . .Phitt, that's kind of how my reaction would be. I would probably be more cool about it and say "Oh yeah, I have a voice in my head and _you _don't! hahaha". Rukiwolff95, you're welcome. I hope this makes you vereh happeh. ;) Turtle787, Mojo is strange, but he's my mojo and I love him (mojo: awww). Oooo, he's out! Must go capture him!!!**

**I need to go while mojo is still around! Pleaase review!!!!!!!!!**


	16. Thoughts of Max

**Chapter 16 – Thoughts of Max**

The next morning the daily routine continued as if the strange phenomenon from last night had not occurred. Each day goes on like it had before. One event doesn't change the course of nature, and because of that it was back to work as usual.

Fang carried a couple large bales of hay, balancing their weight on his shoulders easily. The only problem with this method was losing his peripheral sight, but that wasn't necessarily important at five in the morning. He could see his destination clearly in front of him so he didn't mind the momentary absence of vision to his sides. In theory, if anyone snuck up on him he could just become invisible…

He had no idea if what happened last night was real or not. If it was a dream or a nightmare. Could he really turn invisible? If so, how did it happen? It wasn't some kind of puberty thing that they forgot to put in biology books, was it? He wasn't sure how he felt if he did have the power. In a way, it would be cool, just to know you can do something that others can't. He could skip class without being noticed or run around the halls at free will. Although he had no idea how to control it. What if he suddenly became invisible in the middle of class while he was answering a question? That would be bad.

But what if he just dreamed everything, like it seemed he did? What if he didn't have the power? In a way, it would be… good, he guessed. He had no idea if invisibility was some kind of medical condition. So at least if he couldn't do it, it proved that he wasn't sick or going to die any time soon.

He reached The Pen and was joined at the gate by Ella and Savannah. All the animals were just transferred from the main roaming plain to the feeding ground. He placed the two bales on the ground at his side for a second before determining the best place to put them among the animals. They were swarming everywhere, determined to get their first share of the fresh food. He took one pile and lifted it so it sat tottering over the fence. The animals' heads looked up in anticipation. Some even nipped at the stray pieces of hay that dropped in the slight breeze.

"Jeez, impatient," he muttered as he placed the bale in a small clearing in between the animals. They all pounced on it and happily munched away.

Ella laughed. "I'll take care of the rest of the food," she told him. 'I think Max needs your help in the barn, though."

He nodded and headed toward the tall dark-wood structure. Sliding the side door open, he walked in to see Max sweeping out Gale's stall. When he reached it he rested his elbows on the low gate that separated the two. She looked in his direction. "Yes?" she asked.

"Uh, Ella said you needed help." He couldn't explain why he felt a little uneasy about talking to Max. She'd been pretty honest with him last night, it seemed, and he was glad that she actually opened up with him. It was probably the first time in the week that he'd moved here. It was progress, however slow it may be, but he would take it.

"Oh, right, um, could you hold on to Gale's reins while I bed her stall."

"Sure," he said, not really getting why she wanted him here when she could easily tie the horse's reins outside. She'd seemed a little off this morning so he figured it to be an excuse for her odd behavior.

Thinking of Max, watching how she worked with such acuteness and prudence, brought about a strange feeling in his abdomen that he couldn't identify. She wasn't what most guys would call extraordinary; she was just a simple farm girl in most of their eyes. But they never saw her in this light: seeing how much kindness and patience was involved with attending to animals, the strength in those thin arms, her ability to get the job done even when she isn't at one hundred percent. All those traits in that long, slender body. He wasn't sure why he was feeling these things, or what it meant for that matter.

She slipped the coarse, leather reins into his hands. He softly persuaded Gale out of her stall to stand in the hall. Her large black eyes stared directly at him, like she was questioning his thoughts and digging deep into his soul. She seemed more intelligent than a mere animal. Maybe this was why Max did all this work, to care for a being that seemed to have a soul of its own.

He raised an eyebrow at Gale's gaze, as if she was asking him why he had these thoughts about her owner. The horse blinked, and then, surprisingly, ducked her head in a submissive act. He wasn't sure what to make of it, so he just patted her black mane. Max had said that Gale was a thoroughbred, and that her coloring was described as 'bay' – brown hair with a black mane, tail, and lining along the legs. Then she butted her giant head into his chest, catching him off guard and nearly knocking him over. He heard a laugh to his left.

"What?" he asked.

Max shook her head and tried to hold back her laughter. "I think she likes you. She only butts heads with those she cares about."

So Gale liked him. That was something, he guessed. Gaining the approval of Max's horse was maybe a sign of something more to come. Not like it really mattered to him.

He looked back at Max, noticing the way her face scrunched up in concentration, how the small freckles across her nose and cheeks stood against her pale skin, the way her natural blond highlights accented her face like a halo. He figured that she sort of looked like an angel, if that angel was badass and very bossy.

Then again, today she really wasn't acting like herself. Maybe it was, dare he say, the Voice? He wasn't sure if that was real either, but he could definitely tell that something freaked her last night. Maybe she was going crazy? On all those lawyer TV shows it's always the crazy schizo kids that had voices in their heads that committed murder. But Max wouldn't do that. Besides, if she was insane than he was dying of some kind of terminal illness that caused him to be invisible.

"I'm done," Max said, emerging from the stall with a rake in hand. "You can take her back in and then take off her halter. Then remember to close the door as soon as you get out."

He led Gale toward her stall. The gate was small, just wide enough to fit her and the two teens through. They brushed up against each other, and Max looked away nervously. She was walking toward the racks at the other end of the barn.

"Wait," Fang called.

Max paused, turning around to look at him with a puzzled look. "Yeah?" she questioned, seeming annoyed for an unknown reason. He hoped that he wasn't the cause of it.

"You okay?" He made sure to busy himself with Gale so that she couldn't read the look on his face. His usual mask of impassiveness was beginning to fade as he let his guard down around the Martinez's. He needed to work at keeping it through all situations. The halter slipped off Gale's head easily since she was comfortable with him.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" She sounded distracted.

"Your head. Last night, our conversation." He didn't know if it was something he should bring up, but he had to ask.

She sighed, causing him to look back at her. He maneuvered around Gale to get out of the stall and slid the door closed behind him. "Like I said before, I'm fine," she persisted stubbornly. She rubbed her head with the palm of her hand.

He shrugged, knowing she was lying. It came over him with a smug approval that he was getting better at reading her actions. The look he shot her said "if you say so…" He tried so hard to keep from smirking.

She groaned and stalked off in the other direction. He stifled a laugh, deeming that it would be rude, especially if he was trying to be someone that Max could trust. Thoughts of her made him sigh. If he had to think of her the rest of the day, it was going to be difficult concentrating in school.

He had a lot of things to sort out.

* * *

**As I promised it was another Fang chapter, but I hope it wasn't too forward. I'm not really sure what goes through a guy's head when they like a girl (Oh my, Fang likes Max?!?!? No freakin' way!). So I hope it wasn't like really stupid or sudden or anything. It's not like he loves her... not now anyway. hehehe :)**

**Thank you 123-Cat-Cat-321 for the idea! I think the next chapter will stir things up a little more (hehe, a love song by Skillet. If no one's heard it please listen to "A Little More" by Skillet. It's really good!) RukiWolff95, I want to see your zombeh carrots! I love carrots and zombies, so that seems like a pretty good mix to me. Thank you Lixz-Axel-Me and 4everHoldYourPeace for the encouraging words. It means a lot!**

**It also means a lot to me that everyone keeps reviewing! Computer getting computer time is hard cause our desktop broke, so my dad chases me off the lap top all the time even though he has no idea how to use it. So please reveiw!!!! **


	17. Evil Genius

**Chapter 17 – Evil Genius **

"It's done!"

I shut my locker, revealing the face behind the voice. James stood there with a bright exuberance marking his features. The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear, his teeth as white as his skin. His short strawberry blond hair was pointed in different directions. He wore a blue plaid shirt opened over a white top with jeans. He was leaning against the locker next to mine waiting anxiously for my reaction.

"What's done?" I asked naively. Ever since last night, I was having trouble focusing on anything people said. Especially this morning, with Fang in the barn. The whole time he questioned me the Voice was a relentless bother. I had hoped that I was just imagining the events from last night, but this morning was a bitter reminder that I'm probably insane.

James looked disappointed. "Don't you remember? First day of school? Detention? What did I rip apart the calculator for?"

I walked away from the lockers with him trailing behind me. I thought for a second. It seemed like the first day of school was two years ago, even though it was only two weeks. Then it hit me. "Oh, my God! You finished the timed st –"

"Shh!" I was cut off when his hand clasped over my lips. "Don't say it out loud!" he hissed. He dropped his hand and grinned again. "But yes, it is done. And don't go blabbing to anyone about it. I don't want anyone to know what it is until I unleash it."

"Can I see it?" I was extremely curious, I mean, what did a timed stink bomb look like? Besides Gabe Moore, that is. Man, was that kid a timed stink bomb or what? The one he let rip on the bus this morning nearly put the driver in a coma.

James paused, looking over his shoulder nervously. I looked back too to see what caught his attention. Down the hall, Fang was watching the two of us as clear as day, not even trying to act sneaky like some people would.

"What's his deal?" James asked, looking back at me.

I shrugged. "He's worried about me cause I… I'm, uh, not feeling good." Jeez, I nearly said something I shouldn't have. Way to go, Max! Just announce your secret to the whole world! "He, uh, is my foster brother. Last night I had another migraine."

"Another one?" His tone was clearly shocked and a little concerned. "Maybe you should have it checked out. They have medication for migraines, you know."

"Yeah, I know. My mom's a vet so she knows about medicine, and my… er, dad… is a doctor so there are tons of medical personnel in my family."

He nodded and then looked over his shoulder uncomfortably again. "Damn, he's in foster care? I always knew there was something up with him, but I didn't know what. What's his story? Do you know how he got there?"

"Quiet!" I hissed like he did before. "He doesn't want people to know about it. But no, I don't know why he's in foster care. He only moved in last week so he hasn't really opened up with us. He's kind of like a stranger." And I meant that. No one really knew anything about Fang except that he's strong, silent, likes drawing and reading, and seemed to be really studious which surprised me.

_Ask him,_ the Voice said. Of course, he always shows up at the most inconvenient times.

_Fang? No, I'm not gonna ask him about his past. He'll tell us when he's ready. _That would go over well. "Hey Fang, how's your day? Can you tell me about why you're in foster care?" Yeah, he'd probably smack me if I came out like that.

_Wasn't I right about being able to trust him? Believe me when I say that he'll tell you._

_I'm not gonna push him, so leave me alone. I'm having a conversation. _I felt my mind be freed of the annoying nuisance, and I sighed in relief.

"So, you want to see it?" James asked with an expectant joy and pride in his eyes.

I nodded adamantly. "Yeah, it sounds so cool!"

We walked along the decrepit halls, dodging athletes, chess nerds, and suspicious teachers seeing the two of us together. Apparently we'd made an interesting reputation for ourselves among the teachers' lounge, so they always were on the look out for us darting around and looking secretive, which was exactly what we were doing now.

His locker was basically on the other side of the school from where mine and Fang's were. I came to this side of the building every day for Biology, so I was pretty familiar with the hall and the faces surrounding it. We came up to yet another rotting locker where James stopped, twisting the lock until it clicked open. He popped the handle and it opened outward. Brushing aside some textbooks, he pointed to an item in the top shelf. I looked at it, trying to figure out how this was supposed to set off. Its base was a can of hairspray, and a lever-like device was attached to the sprayer. Wires ran from the lever to a small keyboard with a clock screen that rested along the length of the cylinder.

"James, I have no idea how you did it, but this is amazing!" I was tempted to touch it, but I was afraid it would go off and leave me smelling like farts for the rest of the year.

He smiled smugly. "Yeah, I know. You want to go plant it?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves.

"Now?" My voice had raised, and he shot me a frantic look that told me to shut up. I leaned in to him, and then I realized that he had grown a couple of inches from the start of the school year, making him taller than me. He lowered closer to me too. "Where do you want to do it? Won't it be a little conspicuous to walk out of an empty room whistling like you did nothing wrong?"

"What? Are you chicken?" he whispered back. "C'mon, that's why we're going to the gymnasium. We can say we were working out and we let one rip."

"Okay… but I'm not touching the can. Not only am I gonna set it off, but it's gonna get my finger prints all over it for when they call the cops."

"That's why I'm wearing gloves," he said snootily. Then he grinned. "Be prepared to witness history in the making! This is gonna be awesome!"

I grinned back. If everything went as planned, this was going to be the sweetest prank I'd ever witnessed. Well, we'd probably be in class when it went off, but word would spread over school quickly.

We rushed toward the gymnasium. The double doors that led to the basketball court were locked during school hours, but anyone could enter if they went through the locker rooms. James and I split up, going through the appropriate doors, and we'd meet up back in the gym. A lot of the school teams practiced in the morning before classes began, so it wasn't too big of a surprise to see students coming and going at this time. When I entered the girls' locker room a couple of stragglers were collecting their items. I pretended to fiddle around with a locker so they wouldn't get suspicious. They exited without really noticing me, so I was lucky.

I walked through a white door labeled "Court" and entered into the large gym. I'd only been in here once before for P.E. last Monday, before I had my brain attack in the halls. James was standing just outside of the boy's room.

"Where are you gonna put it?" I asked him. We peered around to make sure no one was here.

He nodded somewhere above me. "There are a second set of bleachers on the next floor. I was gonna tie the bomb on the railing and set the timer to go off in twenty minutes. The smell will get picked up by the vents," he pointed toward the large tubes that lined the ceiling, "and some of it will circulate through classrooms while the rest will stink up the gym. If everything goes as plans, there will be a stampede of students running out of gym to get some fresh air, not that the air in the halls is any cleaner." He chuckled.

"You better hope they don't have class outside or else no one will be here to witness your evil genius."

He looked bemused, and then rolled his eyes. "They're finishing physical fitness, so we're good. Now let's hurry before the bell rings."

We ran to the far side of the gym which held a staircase that led to the second floor bleachers. Our footsteps pounded loudly, no matter how slow or sneaky we tried to ascend them. I kept a lookout while he began to work over his bomb. I looked down at the gymnasium floor, seeing the wooden floorboards and our school symbol, an admiral, in the center. Our school colors of navy and silver were on all the bleachers and walls.

"Okay, I'm done," James said as he approached me.

"Wow. That was quick." We hurried down the steps toward the locker rooms since first bell was going to ring soon. "Are you sure you set it for twenty minutes and not twenty seconds?"

He sent me a sour look. "I think I know how to work my own bomb." Then he shrugged, trying not to look too proud. "Yeah, well, it has to be quick if we don't to get caught."

I was about to enter the girls' locker room when I realized that he had paused in the middle of the court. I ran back to him and grabbed his hand. Then I saw the look on his face and I gasped. His eyes were glossed over and hazy, like he was seeing something far away. His mouth was in the perfect shape of an 'o'. I waved a hand in front of his face. "C'mon, James, let's go." I tugged his hand but he didn't budge. "What's up with you? The bell's gonna ring any second?"

"I… I can't see." His voice faltered and broke at the last word. He sounded extremely scared. Despite the glossy look, his eyes darted back and forth as if he were watching the wall.

"What are you talking about? Let's go now before I force your ass into the girls' room! Although that's probably what you want me to do." I had to admit, I was getting pretty worried. He did not look good by any stretch of the imagination. His eyes suddenly widened and he gasped loudly.

"What?" I asked him, starting to freak. Where was the Voice when I needed comfort?

"Someone's coming," he whispered.

* * *

**I'm so sorry I left this here! I wanted to get this out to thank everyone for reviewing!!! I mean, eeeek, 11 reviews last chapter?? You guys rock! Sure, there are those crazy stories that have like 200 reviews for like 5 chapters where every review is like "OMG please update soon!!!" (and I'll admit I'm guilty of reviewing like that), but you guys make reading reviews fun. Kina Kalamari, we'll see how the whole Fang things works out. I can never guarantee when his chapter will pop up, but it will come when necessary. Rukiwolff95, don't listen to the bunneh! I mean, they're cool and all, but bunnehs aren't supposed to be evil and blood-crazed. Unless it's Bunnicula (did I spell that right? I haven't read that story in like forever!). Harmony -and voices-, I really want to have a book published, but I have never finished a story that wasn't a fanfiction. If I ever get to that point, I would love to have that kind of influence over people that a book can bring, ya know? SeekDreamsAndFindHope, is that a split personality thing or are there actually two people reviewing? If it's split personality, sweet! If it's two people, also cool. 8) Ooo, and Skillet fans, I went to one of their concerts like 5 years ago and I got everyone (except Korey Cooper) to sign my Collide CD!!! And I shook John Cooper's hand when he was working at the merchandise stand!!! AAAHHH!!! :D**

**So if you're a little confused by what's going on with where I left off, I promise everything will be explained tomorrow or whenever the new chapter comes out. Let me just say right now that he isn't really blind. He's just... temporarily blind. It's a new power I created, so I hope it isn't like cheesy or something.**

**Please reveiw! I'm looking to reach 100 with this chapter! Whoever is the 100th reviewer wins an opportunity to meet Mojo!!! Who, btw, I have caged so he can't run away. hehehe (: Or if you just prefer cookies, I can give you cookies. :P**


	18. The 'Big Picture'

**Chapter 18 – The 'Big Picture'**

In that instance, every nerve cell in my body went on red alert. Teachers never checked the gym for students in the morning since it was known that students could use it for free, whether they were on a sports team or just wanted to work out. The only way we could have been seen was if we were spotted through the locked double doors, but even looking through those from the hall wouldn't have been sufficient enough to spot us. My heart was racing and a cold sweat caked the back of my neck. Great, now I have to add this to the list of things to worry about: the Voice, Fang and his invisibility, James and his blindness, being afraid of getting caught.

Despite how scared I was, that was amplified by like a million for James. Not only would he be afraid of getting caught for the stink bomb, but he couldn't see. The thought of getting suspended and losing his sight permanently was a double whammy.

"How do you know?" I asked him, slightly panicked. If he was blind, then how did he know that someone was coming? I mean, I heard that when you lose one of your senses all the others enhance, but this happened like three seconds ago. It wouldn't kick in that quick, would it?

"I… I can't really explain it," he said in a small voice. "But I can _see_ someone through the walls."

What the -?

The boys' locker room door opened slowly. James and I flinched as if we were being electrocuted. This was it. We held our breath as a tall figure stepped out of the door. Some hackneyed cliché like "it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop" applied in this situation.

The man who entered was someone I'd never seen before. He was dressed like a mobster straight out of the 40's with a sleek pin-striped suit. A vibrant red tie peeked out with a simple white oxford. His thick dark brown hair was slicked back over his structured face. Keen blue eyes observed the two of us with a sort of regal grace as opposed to having an evil luster of someone catching two teens doing naughty things. I hated to say that this man was gorgeous, because if I were to swoon him now I wouldn't be able to keep up my defensive plan.

_Keep calm, _the Voice interjected.

_Thanks,_ I said in half sarcasm and half gratitude.

The gorgeous man sauntered toward us with a raised eyebrow. I squeezed James's hand, trying to get him to ease up. If he was going to be tense he was gonna blow our cover as soon as it started.

"Classes are going to begin soon," the man said in a melodic voice. I gulped, but I cocked a brow at him too; I wasn't going to show any sign of weakness. "Lingering around here makes me suspect that you were trying to skip first period."

"No," I said, planting my hands against my hips and trying to make myself look bigger. "I thought I left something in the girls' locker room, but then I thought I might have brought it in the gym by accident. I asked my friend to help me look for it." I gestured to James who was trying very hard to not to bolt in the other direction.

I smacked his arm to get him to say something. "Oof! Oh, I mean, yeah. She left her gym shirt here." He tried smiling but it looked strained. Not to mention that he wasn't even looking directly at the man. I mean, I knew he couldn't see, but let's not make it any more obvious that we're lying our socks off!

The man nodded to himself for a moment. "Well, if you did leave your shirt here, Miss, I think it would have been taken to the lost and found. If you'd like I could check for you."

"Um, no thanks," I said with a false grin in place. "Like you said, we need to get to class. I'll go check in between periods. So thank you Mr.… uh, I didn't get your name."

He smiled, one that would break the heart of any male model. "I'm Mr. Darnell. I'm on the Board of Directors for the school district and I came by to give Chester Nimitz High a look-over."

"Well, thanks Mr. Darnell." I honestly had no idea who this guy was. Like, I knew we had a School Board and all, but usually all the members are like graduates from PTA or something. This guy couldn't be any older than twenty-five.

I was about to grab James's hand again when he suddenly gasped. I stared up at him in shock. For a moment his eyes seemed very out of focus, but then they returned to normal. And when I say normal, I mean not glassy or glazed or hazy or anything of that sort. The way he was looking around, with extreme relief and an almost greedy satisfaction, I could tell that he could see again. His eyes suddenly found Mr. Darnell and they widened in shock. Huh? I wonder what this was about.

Mr. Darnell studied James, like this was the first time he was really looking at him. The look on his face was slightly curious and held some scrutiny with it. There was a glint of something I couldn't detect there too.

"Okay, see you around," I said, glad that we were going to make a clean get away. James muttered a gruff farewell to the School Board member. We rushed through our separate locker rooms and met just outside in the halls.

"What the hell happened in there?" I asked him in a low, serious voice. It wasn't every day that a person goes momentarily _blind_.

He seemed shaken. "I… I don't know. We were going to leave and then suddenly I couldn't see a thing. Well, I couldn't see anything around me…" He pursed his lips in consideration of his words.

Please, not again. I was really getting tired of the supernatural. I thought none of that stuff existed. Before you know it we'll see vampires and werewolves running around the streets! "What do you mean you couldn't see around you? James, what's going on?"

He looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I couldn't… see anything directly in front of me. Like you were gone, and the gym, the walls. Everything around me I couldn't see. But… I'm not sure, but I _thought_ I could see _through_ my surroundings."

It took a huge effort on my half to keep things light and joking, even though I was panicking on the inside. "I hope you weren't looking through _me_."

He rolled his eyes, and I was relieved to see he still had his humor. "I couldn't see through you, although if I could I wouldn't dare; you'd punch me again. But I could see people _moving_ behind the walls, in the hallway. And I _saw_ Mr. Darnell coming through the locker room."

My eyes widened. "You what?" Oh yeah, that's eloquence there for ya folks!

"I think I can see through walls."

"Well, remind me to never let you pass by the girls' room again." I tried joking but my mind was reeling. Why do things like this keep happening?

_I told you before, Max, everything is a part of the big picture,_ the Voice said. _It's for you to figure out how that picture is supposed to be put together._

_So you mean that both Fang and James are a part of that picture? _I asked it. I rubbed my forehead, getting annoyed with this whole 'big picture' crap. _Why do you keep bringing this up? Why is everything happening to me? Why now?_

_You have a purpose, Max. Your destiny is what the big picture is based upon. How you deal with these situations is only a small test to what you'll face later on in life. When you complete your purpose._

_Ugh, shut up! You sound like Jeb._

"Max?" Up until then, I hadn't realized that James had said my name several times. The Voice always seemed to distract me at the worst times.

"Yeah?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" He sounded a little worried, kind of like how I did when I talked to Fang last night.

"Of course I believe you. There's no way I could doubt it from how you were acting. It was clear that something was up." I smiled reassuringly at him, hoping he would see that I was being honest.

He smiled in return. His shoulders seemed less taut and straightened out a bit in confidence. "Okay, good. Oh, by the way, did you know who that Mr. Darnell guy was? I never saw him before in my life."

Oh, my God. I wasn't the only one. "I know! I had no idea who he was either. Aren't the Board of Directors supposed to be old retired men? He seemed like he just stepped off a runway instead of a golf course." I would have to ask my mom later about him.

The bell rang, making my eardrums vibrate painfully. Like the rest of the school, those bells were definitely obsolete ten years ago.

"See you around," I said to James, and then I grinned. "I'll be expecting something _huge_ to happen in fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Does anyone know what war Chester Nimitz fought in?" Miss Wesley, our History teacher, asked as she walked around the perimeter of the room. Her stern gaze met the eyes of every student in the class. She may have graduated from college during the summer, but she was strictly no nonsense unlike most new teachers.

_He fought in both World War I and II, but was mostly known for his ingenuity in leading the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Fleet against Japan in World War II. He was given the office of Chief of Naval Operations in 1918, and then later was entitled as the Commander and Chief of the U.S. Pacific fleet in 1941. He led the Allies to victory in the Battle of Coral Seas, Battle of Midway, and Solomon Islands Campaign._

_Thanks, Voice,_ I thought. I raised my hand boldly, like it had been shot out of a pistol.

"Yes, Max," our teacher acknowledged.

"He fought in both World Wars but was known mostly for World War II."

_Hey, Voice, will you help me cheat on tests? Or is studying a part of the 'big picture'? _I laughed mentally, but sighed when it didn't respond. I was taking that as a 'no'.

"Very good," she said brusquely. "Now, we're skipping ahead in our textbooks because Homecoming is only a couple weeks away, and I wanted to spend time learning about the famed admiral that our school was named after. Expect a test in two weeks…" I tuned her out after a while. I was caught up in how wild her hair was; it was like a jungle. Did she keep her cell phone in there? Or maybe her car keys… Hopefully she kept her money there instead of a more private area.

Her rambling was interrupted by a monotone hum that sounded through the room, signaling that an announcement was about to be made. "Will the janitorial staff please report to the gymnasium… immediately?" The secretary sounded extremely annoyed, and I was cheering on the inside. I had made a special point not to be clock-watching in class. People might notice that I was doing it prematurely, but then again some students started checking the time a minute after class began. I wanted to celebrate, but then I realized that I had no friends in this class, and also that doing so would totally give me away.

A stream of students appeared outside of the door window, holding their noses and looking very disgusted. I held in my laughter. James was a genius! If he used his powers for good instead of evil, he could probably event a machine that would end, like, world hunger or something.

_Plant the seed in his mind, Max. _I swore I heard the Voice laughing at its pun. _This is the kind of thinking you should be doing instead of having fun._

_What? Are you saying that I can't enjoy myself even a tiny bit? I'm only fourteen, you know._

I thought I heard it sigh.

A steady murmur picked up among my classmates at the sight of the scurrying gym students. Some thought that a kid threw up, while others wondered if a water pipe blew in a locker room, causing the gym to be flooded. Despite all their wrong assumptions, it was definitely causing an uproar.

Then a heart stopping announcement came over the intercom.

Our principal, who we only saw for orientation - after that any disciplinary actions were dished out by the VP's - came over the loud speaker, sounding very serious and outraged. "Will the culprit or culprits behind the stink bomb please report to the Principal's office or we'll be forced to call the police to run an investigation."

Well, that really put a hamper on my good mood.

* * *

**Yah! 14 reviews last chapter!!! You guys rock! So a big shout out goes to bookwurm96 for being the 100th reviewer!!!! So you can put down your pitchfork, although seeing the way I ended this one you might take it out again. :P But more importantly, you win the opportunity to meet Mojo - or if you just want cookies, I understand. I can poke one through each spike on your pitchfork. Mojo is a little shy.**

**Mojo: No I'm not**

**Me: yes, you are. if you want to prove me wrong, go up to bookwurn96 and introduce yourself**

**Mojo: ...**

**Me: That's what I thought.**

**Turtle787, I think I saw that episode of Wifeswap, too. I don't know why but I'm oddly addicted to the show. Anara Celebvilya, Max is a little more angsty only because she has never had to be a leader of anything except for bossing around Fang on the farm. Once she gets into that position (Me: :X), she'll be a little more reprimanding. Besides, it's not like it's an _actual_bomb. :D 123-Cat-Cat-321, I can give you a cookie any way for warning me about Mojo. This is what I get for leaving bobbypins on the ground. But, alas, he is still safely restrained, so I have full rein over him. *Rubs hands together evily* Blissful-x-Optimism, that's only a little creepy. ;) Nah, I'm flattered really. And I do want to write a novel, but refer to the A/N from last chapter to read my problem with that. You're welcome for the quesidilla (speaking of which, I'm starving XD), and that Michael Jackson thing is strange. **

**So to explain James's power, he can become 'blind' to things around him in order to see _through_ those same things. It's like x-ray vision... almost. Like if he were to be looking through walls, he wouldn't be able to see a person sneaking up on him if they were in the same room. It's a little confusing, I know, but it's different. BTW, I need a way for him to get Iggy as a nickname. I have some ideas, but if anyone wants to offer some advice I'd love to use it!**

**Please Review!!!**


	19. Punishment

**Chapter 19 - Punishment**

For the rest of class my stomach felt as twisted as the shoelaces a child is learning how to tie. I didn't want to get in trouble, but then again if the principal called the police the punishment would be far worse. I saw that program on MTV about the high school pranks and scandals, and usually the police weren't lenient. Especially since most of the offenders were soon-to-be-graduates. However, I was a freshman, and I'd only been in school for two weeks for that matter. If I turned myself in, would he be merciful? Or if they somehow link me to the crime would it get worse? Would I be suspended? Expelled? Would he call James and me in to congratulate us on a good prank? I doubted that, but a girl can dream.

I tried to pay attention so that no one would suspect that I knew about what happened, but I couldn't focus for any longer than a three-year-old could. After Miss Wesley got our class to settle down, she was back to business. However everyone else was pretty wound up. I heard hushed whispers of who they suspected was involved or how it was accomplished. I wanted to scream at them "_I was involved! I watched it happen! Stop torturing me with this already!"_

When the bell finally rang, I thought it would have been a relief, but in reality I got so nervous that my hands were shaking. I wanted to do the right thing, but I really didn't know what that was. Maybe I should see what James was doing…

I wanted to go to his locker, but since it was far away from the main offices, I decided to wait and see if our paths crossed. Maybe he was already at the office? It wasn't too far from my locker, and I did promise Mr. Darnell that I would look for my "gym shirt". I could peak in for a second to see if the principal was busy.

On my way to the lost and found, I passed by the Janitor's closet, which was the hot spot for scurrying men in navy jumpsuits, carrying cans of air freshener and cleaners of every sort. Part of me wondered how the stink bomb explosion had been, but an even bigger part of me was more concerned about what punishment would be involved for an infraction like this.

The lost and found was basically a milk carton on the floor of the secretary's office with a sign marking it as that. From what I'd heard, after every week the items in it were allowed to be taken by anyone unless it was something valuable like a cell phone, textbook, etc. I asked the secretary if I could look through it and she obliged. I mostly fiddled with its contents, not really looking at anything. It was pretty empty since it was Monday, so I didn't have much to occupy my time with. With the time I did gather, I was mapping routes in my mind. Thinking of where the principal's office was, ways to get near it, ways of avoiding it.

I figured after standing there looking like an idiot for two minutes, I relented with my "search" and thanked the secretary. The principal's office was down the hall, in its own separate corridor along with the VPs' offices. There was no way to be inconspicuous about it, unless I was Fang and became invisible. If I checked it out, I knew I couldn't make up any logical excuse for being there if someone questioned me. It was a hit or miss. But it wouldn't hurt to look; I had time in between periods.

I sighed, feeling something deep within my stomach that told me I should go. There was no avoiding it now. I felt like I was being led by an invisible rope to the long door at the very end of the hall. I could have retreated, but I was afraid that someone may have developed mental Cowboy wrangling skills. Hey, you never know with the people in my life!

When I reached it, I opened the door with a sort of calm nobility. I was ready to face the principal, although I wasn't so ready to face my mom when she found out.

I entered into a small waiting room, reminding me of a doctor's office – which instantly made me twitchy – with a small reception desk in the right hand corner. An elderly woman sat behind it busily typing away at a computer. She looked up when she heard me enter. "Yes?" she asked, lowering her bifocals on her nose in a critical fashion.

"I need to speak with the principal," I said. My eyes darted to the other wall, which had a door sealed shut. The plaque on it claimed it to be _Mr. Sean Reinhard, Nimitz High Principal. _I bit my lip at this domineering set-up. It reminded me of a prison, or worse: a hospital.

The woman nodded to herself. "Yes, he's meeting with someone right now. When he's finished you may speak with him."

"Thanks," I muttered to be polite. I sat on one of the cushioned seats along the wall nearest the reception desk. They were comfortable, I noted sourly. It was most likely that way to ease a student and/or parent's tension before they met the principal. That was a devilish tactic on the school's part.

I sat tapping my finger on my knee for only a couple minutes. The door snapped open, the knob held by a sleek looking man with a clean-shaven, shiny bald head. I recognized him from orientation as Mr. Reinhard. His head was so reflective I wondered if I could see myself in it; he probably had it professionally waxed. Maybe I needed to call him Mr. Shiny Head.

Out shuffled a hunched form of someone I recognized very well. My eyes widened but I wasn't going to say anything. A very somber looking James took a seat next to me. Mr. Shiny Head and the receptionist talked for a second while James and I shared a significant glance. I wanted to tell him everything was okay, but he looked at me like I was a ghost. "What are you doing here?" he asked frantically, but also quietly. "I told them I did this alone so that you wouldn't get in trouble."

I shook my head. "I can't let you take all the blame. It wouldn't be right. That's what friends do." He half smiled at me.

"Miss?" Mr. Shiny Head asked, looking directly at me. "You may come in." He stalked off into his office and I followed after him.

His office was pretty nice, considering that the rest of the school was crappy. A large mahogany desk stood regally in the middle of the room. The walls were painted alternately white and navy, while the one behind the desk was framed with at least ten degrees and certificates awarded to him. On his desk were a nameplate, a framed photo of him with a pretty woman, a desktop computer, and a large desk-calendar that lay on its surface. He took a seat in a large leather chair behind it and swiveled it in my direction. I seated myself at the leather couch on the other end.

"So, why are you here to see me…?" He trailed it off to ask for my name.

"I'm Maxine Ride," I told him. He nodded to himself, as if recalling my name. "And I wanted to talk to you about the stink bomb incident."

His eyebrows rose slightly. "What about it? I already have had someone confess to doing it, so if you're turning them in it's a bit too late for that."

I sighed. As much as I didn't want to, I had to do it. "James Griffith wasn't alone." His face was set in stone, careful not to show any emotions. "I didn't make it, but I watched him set it up. I'm just as responsible as he is." I looked him dead on despite the way my heart was pounding.

He considered what I said carefully. "Mr. Griffith told me that he did this by himself." He sat back in his chair and rested his chin on one hand. "Are you doing this because you think that it will lighten his punishment or are you honestly confessing?"

I kept my gaze steady. "I was there, I saw it. I made sure no one was watching."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said convincingly. He straightened up and typed something on his computer's keyboard. "If you say you're involved, I have no choice but to reprimand you, too. However, I will take into consideration that you spoke up willingly. You may wait in the other room while I call your parents. For the rest of the day you're suspended and I'll call back when I thought of a proper punishment."

I rose and he ushered me out of his room. James had already left, so I assumed that he had been whisked away too. At least the police were going to stay out of it.

I felt like I was waiting a century before my very pissed mom walked through the office door. Her face said it all, that I was in more trouble with her than I was with the school.

"Maxine Ride! You are in so much trouble when we get home." I walked toward her and she followed me out of the school grounds. "This isn't like you to be involved with a stink bomb. What were you thinking?"

_That it would be a hell of a story,_ I thought, but I wouldn't tell her that. "I'm sorry," I said honestly. "I thought it was going to be an awesome prank." Which it _was_, but I never would get to experience the full pleasure of it since I was being sent home. I did feel bad for it now, despite how cool it was, and I knew I wouldn't do it again.

Mom looked at me sternly once we entered her car. "You don't know the other side of this _stupid_ action," she said as she started the engine. "What if it backfired? What if someone got hurt? You have to think of these things, Max. I thought I taught you how to use your head."

I looked at my lap the whole time. I may not be a coward to Mr. Shiny Head, but Mom was a completely different story. She would add so many chores to my already hectic schedule that I'd be working until the crack of dawn. Not only that, but I knew I disappointed her. I felt worse about that than of actually setting off the bomb.

"We'll talk about this later once I've calmed down and once Mr. Reinhard calls," she said more levelly. "I need to get back to work, so you'll be home alone. There is some lunch meat in the fridge if you're hungry."

We eventually made it back to home, and she dropped me off at the bottom of the driveway. I swore more smoke was coming from her ears than from the exhaust pipe. I marched off solemnly; I knew I wouldn't hear the end of it from Fang when he got home.

I spent most of the day watching TV, not that there was much on to begin with. There wasn't anything on since they don't expect teens to be home at this time unless they're ditching or sick. This was the worst way to stay home from school: knowing that a punishment is pending and my mom was furious with me.

At around noon Mom returned for her lunch break. She calmed down immensely; working with animals helped her release some steam. However she didn't acknowledge me as she walked straight to the fridge and grabbed a protein shake.

After twenty minutes the phone rang, an ominous sound in the awkwardly silent room. Mom snaked her hand around it before I could get there. "Hello?" she said in her business voice. I crossed my arms over my chest impatiently. "Oh, yes, hello Mr. Reinhard." She paused as he said something to her. "Yes, of course. What did you have in mind?" Normally parents would sound concerned or anxious, but not Mom; she was all business. "Okay, thank you so much. Alright, I'll let her know. Thanks again, bye." She hung up the phone and looked at me crossly.

"Yes?" I asked nervously.

"You got lucky," she sighed. "Mr. Reinhard was very lenient on you since you didn't claim to be involved with making the bomb –"

"Mom, you know I didn't. I'm not good with machinery and gadgets."

She rolled her eyes. "He was also impressed that you confessed on your own, so he said that you have to spend the next couple days with him after school and that you aren't allowed to go to the Homecoming dance or football game."

"That's it?" I asked, confused. I guess it turns out Mr. Shiny Head was a lot more merciful than I took him for. "It's not like I was gonna go to Homecoming anyway."

She sighed. "I hope you really appreciate this because I'm not going to be as overlooking as he was."

"Yes Ma'am," I responded automatically. It took all my effort not to salute her.

* * *

"So, what's the punishment, criminal?" Fang asked me after he'd returned home from school. He was sitting on the kitchen table going over homework.

Ella walked over, munching on a granola bar, looking very confused. "Yeah, why weren't you on the bus, Max? Why is Fang calling you a criminal?"

I rolled my eyes and was tempted to shoot Fang the bird, but I resisted since Ella was here. She was too young for those kinds of obscenities, even if she was twelve. "I helped a friend set off a stink bomb in school, okay?" I said. I wasn't afraid to admit it since Mom had gone back to her vet practice. Ella looked appalled while Fang's face was smug. "And I only have two days of after-school detention and I'm not allowed to go to Homecoming. So ha ha, you can't ask me to the dance Fang."

He seemed a little disappointed that my punishment was so light. "Oh, damn it. It would have been fun to see you in a dress."

This time I did shoot him the bird.

* * *

**I have to say that some reviewer guessed correctly about what is going to happen, although I think everyone has picked up on it already. SeeksDreamsAndFindHope, no I don't mean for Max and James to fall for each other. Maybe I'll need to say something so that it's implied that they're only supposed to be friends. Chickeerafish, I want to meet this real live Edward! Even if he isn't the best looking guy, a good personality definitely makes up for it! And I died at your 50+ exp. date crack! :D Bookwurm96, I do feel honored. :) Kina Kalamari, I wasn't just thinking of Twilight, I was thinking of all the vampire books/movies/TV shows out there. I mean, I love a good vampire book but it's fun to joke about. BTW, if anyone knows a good werewolf book, please recommend! I only tried to read one and it was so bad I didn't get past the second chapter. To all the Iggy nickname advisors, thanks for the suggestions! I'll try to think of something that'll work. Hopefully I don't have to write about it too soon.**

**So keep reviewing!! And also take my poll if you haven't!! Last time I checked it was tied. You must break it or else I'll decide what I want to do for that situation.**


	20. Work and Discoveries

**Chapter 20 - Work and Discoveries**

Mom still hadn't come up with a punishment for me when she had returned home from work for the night. I had made sure to be extra attentive while Ella, Fang, and I worked on the farm. I knew it wouldn't make Mom feel any better about the situation, but it made me feel better.

I didn't try to linger on the facts too much the next day through school, either. Mostly everyone knew that James was the one responsible for the stink bomb – and everyone loved him for it – but he wasn't around for students to congratulate him for a prank well done. I had no idea if he was even going to our school anymore, but I wasn't able to scoop out any info from my peers. Aside from Fang, I had no friends, and even then we weren't able to talk in gym. No one knew of my involvement, to which I really wasn't sure how I felt about it.

After school I met with Mr. Reinhard at his office. The whole time he just made me file papers and lick envelops and other assorted secretarial duties. He thought that I wasn't guilty for the stink bomb, but he wasn't backing down on his punishment either way. He didn't question me about it either. Everything he had me do was mindless, and I was almost glad for it. I knew this was going to be a lot easier than whatever Mom has in store for me.

At one point, there was a knock on the door at the reception room, even though it was wide open. The receptionist, who I learned was a real fun-loving woman named Mrs. Andrews, and I shared a significant glance as the tall man sauntered in. It was Mr. Darnell.

He looked at us with a grin that would melt the hearts of thousands of girls at the same time. "Hello, is Mr. Reinhard in?" he asked in a sultry voice. I swore Mrs. Andrews gulped.

"Yes," she said. "He's in his office."

"Thank you." He knocked on the door and Mr. Reinhard allowed him in.

When he was gone, she and I looked at each other again. "Wow, I must say he is pretty hot." She fanned herself with her hand. "He's lucky I'm happily married, though."

"Do you know who he is?" I asked her after I'd managed to fake a laugh at her joke.

"Mr. Darnell? He's on the Board of Directors. He wants to help our school get firsts of the tax cuts so we can improve." Her dark brown eyes looked serious through her bifocals. "He's going to improve the lives of the students who go here, so you should be grateful for him."

I pursed my lips. I couldn't explain why I didn't like him, but I knew something was off.

_Trust your instincts, Max_, the Voice interjected. _Always be on guard._

Oh, _great_. The Voice finally decides to make an appearance… or sound? I really didn't know. Either way, I hadn't heard from it since yesterday morning; it was actually nice to have my mind to myself for a while.

_Thanks a lot, I'll keep that in mind_, I muttered to it as he and the principal emerged from his office, shaking hands.

"You gave me a lot to consider," Mr. Reinhard said. "But I think we'll accept with that offer."

Huh? What's that about?

* * *

After an hour of tongue-numbing, boring work, I was finally set free. Mom picked me up in front of school, looking resigned. "Max, I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday," she said once we drove off. "I came across wrong, but I was so shocked. It's not like you to be involved with making…" She paused at the look I shot her. "…I mean, helping someone plant a stink bomb. I'm sorry, but you still have to face the consequences."

I nodded; there was really no way of getting around it.

"So that's why I'm employing you for the week at the clinic," she said proudly. "We needed some volunteers to clean out cages, feed animals, sort out medicine, and other various jobs that we need done. I know you think it will be easy since you're used to taking care of farm animals, but animals that have been cooped in cages can be very restless. They don't get as much exercise as our animals."

I stared at her in disbelief. "My punishment is hanging out with more animals? Are you serious?" I smiled.

The look she shot me was smug. "Like I said, it's not as fun as you think. Besides, it might teach you another form of natural stink bombs."

* * *

Mom's vet practice was only five minutes from our home, so technically she didn't even need to commute there. If she really wanted to be eco-friendly, she could walk every day, at least while the weather was nice. The property we owned was shaped like a square - on the north side was the clinic, the south side was our home and the farm, and in between was a thick field of trees. Ella and I always used to play in there when we were little, so much that my mom had a tree house installed in the thicket's center. It was still standing, the last time I checked over the summer, and it wasn't rotting since most of the trees' leaves act as its canopy.

The clinic was a relatively small building, constructed of a light wood, with welcoming all-glass doors and posters of animals hanging from the lobby walls. The lobby was similar to any hospitals': a white, large waiting room with black seats lining the walls, a large reception desk with files in the backroom, a double hallway with one leading to the examination rooms and the other to the operating rooms and the kennel.

"You'll need to get changed," Mom said as she threw something at me. "Put these on and get to work." I held up the articles of clothing in my hand and scowled. It was aquamarine scrubs, the ones the doctors wear. I thought vets were more original than that.

I sighed and slouched into the outfit, putting it over the clothes I was already wearing, and followed her to the kennel. She explained what had to be done, but I was more terrified by how long this would take than the job itself: rows of five kennels stacked on top of each other lined opposite sides of the walls, most filled with animals in casts or IV drips. It was a miserable sight.

"You know what to do," she said after she'd explained everything. "If you need help, I'll be in my office." She strolled out of the room with her white lab coat flowing behind her. I sighed. _Where to begin?_

I started with the closest kennel. Inside was a spunky Chihuahua with big beady eyes. I couldn't see anything wrong with him, but I saw that his newspaper needed to be changed. I opened the cage door and stuck my hand in, but every time I tried to swipe the paper he would nibble on my fingers. If every animal was going to act this way, it was better to give up now. Then again, Mom would be really angry and come up with something worse than this. Probably scrubbing toilets or something. I shuddered.

I can't tell you how much time I spent filling food dishes, cleaning litter boxes, scrubbing empty cages with bleach, but let me tell you it was one hour too many. I was frustrated, especially when an animal was cranky and would think that my hand was a chew toy to vent their anger on, and this job seemed endless. Did Mom really expect me to do this all in one day? What am I, Superwoman?

The door opened to my left, or at least I thought it did. My face scrunched in confusion. I could have sworn I heard the door click shut. I was busy trying to disentangle myself from a very friendly kitty when I'd heard the noise. I peered again, puzzled, but I gave up with a shrug. I must be going even more insane than I already am. The cat finally got bored with me and I swiftly shut her gate. I turned around and stood up.

Then I fell on my ass and was preparing to scream at the top of my lungs. A hand covered my mouth to squelch most of the noise.

"Shh, stop screaming," a calm voice said. Then his face was smug. "If I knew I could scare you this easily I should have tried it sooner."

I shoved his hand off my mouth. "Ugh, Fang this is _not _funny!" He started laughing and I forced myself into a kneeling position. "Why are you here, anyway?" I growled. "Do you want to rub this in my face?"

Once he finished, he looked me dead in the eye. "I came to help you," he said levelly.

I paused; I hadn't expected that response. What was he trying to pull? "Did my mom send you here as a joke? To say that I'm not working fast enough?"

He shook his head. "Actually she told Ella and me to stay home, but I didn't think it was right. You've been gone for three and a half hours, including detention, and from the looks of it you aren't close to being done." He chuckled.

I glowered at him and stood to my feet. "So you are here to rub it in my face."

"No, I promise," he sighed. "Enough is enough, I'm here to help."

I eyed him, trying to detect any signs of lying in his features, but as always they were completely impassive. His eyes hard and unreadable. "What's the catch?" I asked. He wouldn't just be helpful all of a sudden, would he?

"There's no catch. I want to help."

This was pointless. He was offering to help and I'm being a jackass. "Okay," I sighed in defeat. "All the cages with animals make sure their newspapers or litter boxes are clean. If they need more food I have a bag here and more in the back. Water jugs are there, too. Any cage that's empty needs to be cleaned with a bleach mixture that's in that jug." I pointed to a container on the metal table in the center of the room. "You might want to put some gloves on first."

He nodded and prepared himself for the task ahead. I had no idea when he started to become such a nice guy, but I wasn't going to question him about it or else he might leave. Especially once he starts this job. We worked together, one takling the cleaning while the other dished out food and kept the animals occupied. I hadn't gotten to the other set of cages yet, but with Fang here I got to them faster than I expected.

There was one question bugging me. "When have you been practicing your invisibility?" I wondered allowed. For all I knew he hadn't become invisible since two days ago.

"In school." His reply was short and even, but I could detect his smugness. I was starting to read him better.

My eyes widened. "When? You weren't sneaking out of class, were you?" I couldn't imagine him doing that unless he got bored in class, which I imagined he did often. I'd seen the A's he got on quizzes when he'd take papers out of his backpack.

"Nah, mostly random places, like the halls or in lunch. I used it to sneak back in the lunch line for seconds today."

To his surprise, I laughed. He turned and raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head. "I guess I should have expected something like that from you, as opposed to what James would do."

He blinked, his face frozen the way it was. "What about him?" he asked.

Oops, I realized I had just given James away. There was no way Fang would not stop bothering me until I told him. But I could tell him, right? I'm supposed to trust him.

_If you feel you can trust him, than don't be afraid to confide in him, _the Voice told me.

I groaned aloud. Fang's face had altered slightly, in a look that said "what are you doing?" I shook my head again. "The Voice," I said. He nodded in understanding. I sighed, wondering how he was going to take the news. "Well… we aren't the only ones with powers," I began.

"I wouldn't consider having a voice in your head a power," he joked. He's lucky that I was occupied with scrubbing or else I would have smacked him.

"All the same, we aren't alone. When James and I were programming the bomb he, uh, became blind so he could see through walls."

He was going to say something but then changed his mind. "What?" he concluded on saying. For once Fang sounded confused.

I scratched behind a Jack Russell's ears as it leaned its head into my palm once I moved to the next kennel. "It's really weird, but he couldn't see anything around him. He was only blind for a couple minutes, but when he becomes blind he can sort of see through everything around him. It's like he switches seeing things in front of him to see _through_ them."

He thought for a moment. "But then wouldn't he still be able to see if he can look through objects? Wouldn't he know what he was looking through?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I guess he can only see whatever is behind those objects. That was why he knew someone was coming into the gym when we were there."

"Who caught you?"

"Mr. Darnell. Have you seen him at all around school? He's tall and muscular, with brown hair and blue eyes. He's on the Board of Directors supposedly."

"Oh, him," he said after a pause.

I looked over my shoulder to see him scrubbing a cage, with a little too much force. I smiled smugly at him. "What? You feel threatened by him because he beats your hotness?" I joked. "He seems… nice, I guess. He seems a bit too perfect, if you ask me."

"I don't like the guy," he admitted. "There's something off about him." Then his tone changed and he smirked at me. "You think I'm hot?"

My cheeks must have flushed red because his smile grew when I turned away. "No, of course not." To be honest, I'd never really thought about it. Fang was… Fang, I guess. He was the annoying, strong, smart foster brother that I'd known for a short time. Ella always gushed about how 'adorable' he is, but even if I _did_ find him attractive, there was no way he could be described as adorable. He wasn't boyish looking at all like most of the freshman guys were. He had an angular face, menacing eyes, and a gloomy wardrobe. Fang and adorable don't mix.

He shot me a look that said "Suuure, you don't." I threw a sponge at him. God, he was annoying.

We heard heels tapping down the hall coming in our direction. We looked at each other. "I think it's my mom," I told him. "Hide in the closet or become invisible or something." I panicked.

He nodded, extremely calm, and closed his eyes. For a second I thought nothing was going to happen, but then the air around him started to shimmer, like erosion. Then he was gone completely. I blinked a few times in utter shock.

Mom entered the room. She peered around with a puzzled look on her face. "Weird," she said. "I thought I heard voices."

_I hear voices in my head, too, _I wanted to say. _Well, maybe one voice. _I tried not to smile. "I was talking to the animals," I said instead. I pointed to the Husky whose cage I was at.

Mom didn't look convinced. "Well, I think we'll be wrapping it up soon," she added as she casually looked into the supply room, but I knew she was checking for hiding kids. "It's almost seven, and I called Ella to tell her to start dinner so it will be ready when we get home. And you have homework to do; I can't keep you here all day."

I smiled. "Yeah, cause you know I'm just jumping up to do that."

She rolled her eyes. "Just start cleaning up. I'll let Dr. Johnson know what got done and what didn't."

"Okay." She left the kennel and both Fang and I sighed in relief. He suddenly reappeared at my side and I had to remind my senses that he'd been there the whole time.

"You need to get home before we do," I told him as he stood up. "Can you stay invisible the whole way there?"

He seemed unsure for a bit but then nodded. "I think so. Staying invisible for a long time wears me out."

"You'll have to run home," I said as we both started washing up at the sink. "We'll be driving around our property so at most it will take ten minutes." He nodded as he mapped the area in his mind. "You probably followed the road here, but there's a shortcut through the woods that separate the farm from the vet practice. We cut a path that connects the two areas when I was little since I used to play in the trees all the time. The brush has grown out a bit since then, but it's still the best way through. Run the whole time and you can beat us."

He mentally calculated the journey and then sighed. "I think I've got it." He wiped his hands on a towel. "See you there."

I nodded and walked him to the door. "You'll have to go through the main lobby since there isn't another way out. Wait till no one is looking." We checked through the window and we both gawked. Mom was standing in the hallway ogling a guy I'd never seen before. He was about my height, thin, light blond hair and green eyes. Fang and I stared at each other in disbelief.

"Who is he?" he asked.

I felt my heart drop into my stomach. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

* * *

**I'm so sorry I didn't update yesterday! Mojo escaped his cage and i don't know how, so I had tons of trouble writing. I'm afraid he's ran to a place where I will never see him again (aka my brother's room). *sighs* I need him! Hang posters in your areas in case he left the house! So sorry if this chapter really sucked, but it does give out a lot of important details about what is to come... hehehe ;)**

**Luna, I'll remember that for the future. :) "Shooting the bird" is a nicer way of saying that you flipped someone off. I've seen JP use that phrase in the MR series, so I decided to stick with it. And also something you'll learn with me is that I'm a Fax purist, as in I really don't like any other pairings. So in any of my MR fanfics you won't see Eggy, Niggy, Miggy, Figgy, or anything else. It will always be Max and Fang. I mean, I could write those other things but I'm not totally comfortable with them. Sorry to all you other pairing fans!! Kina Kalamari, as cute as that may be, Fang wasn't planning on going to the dance. He was joking, and he knows Max would never go with anyone, let alone him. I am well aware of what is the norm for Fax stories, but as I'm sure you've noticed I don't do things the way everyone else does. But there's a pretty big reason why I made part of her punishment being unable to go to Homecoming events... Why? You'll see in a couple chapters (which, btw, will be a Fang chapter!). NITESIDE IS DA BOMB, is this long enough for you or do you want it even longer?**

**That's enough ranting/explaining. I should shut up before I give too much away. Please Review!!!**


	21. Trial Run

**Chapter 21 – Trial Run**

I was filled with a determination I had never felt before. It wasn't like me to want to react so strongly, so suddenly. I mean, I didn't even know the guy, but I already didn't like him. My first thought was to run out there and demand to know who Mom was talking to, but that wouldn't be smooth, would it? I would scare him away, which wouldn't be a bad thing, but at the same time Mom might get even more pissed with me and force me to work here the rest of my life. Not something I want to even risk.

_Breathe in, breathe out_, I reminded myself. So what, it's just a guy, right? Mom can like whoever she wants, _date_ whoever she wants for that matter. The last time she had been in a real relationship was when she dated Ella's dad, but I was too young to remember that. She was a relatively young, beautiful, work-minded woman. No wonder this guy likes her.

If I was being completely honest, the reason why I didn't like the guy was that my figure of a father was Jeb, and I didn't want more than one of him in my life. If all men were like him, I don't know why there hasn't been a world-wide epidemic of female suicide.

I looked over my shoulder at Fang, who was watching me. "Okay, so I want you to stay as close to me as possible while you're invisible. Then I'll distract Mom and the man so you can make a clean getaway. We clear?"

He nodded, and the air around him shimmered, as was the pre-invisibility ritual. In an instant, he was completely gone, but I was hyperaware of the breath I felt tickling the back of my neck.

I inhaled deeply. "Alright, here we go."

I stepped through the door and made sure it hung open long enough for Fang to get through. I felt his presence directly behind me. Once we cleared the space, he darted down the hall in that silent, unnoticeable way he had. Some people, even if they were invisible, would totally give themselves away by their thunderous footsteps. Fang, on the other hand, walked silently whether you could see him or not. He was blessed in that way.

I strolled up casually to Mom, whose back was facing me, and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She turned and smiled. "Hey, honey, ready to go?" she asked, her brown eyes kind. I had no idea how such a wonderful mother could sometimes act like she was a crazy dictator.

"Yeah," I said and switched my attention from her to the man standing across from us. I'd never seen him before but he seemed to recognize me.

Mom noticed my gaze and rolled her eyes as if she had forgotten something important. "Oh, Max, I wanted to introduce you to someone before we go." She waved a hand at the blond haired man. "This is Justin Truman. I used to work with him at the genetics lab where I met Jeb. He had an appointment for his cat." I looked down to see a small crate resting at his feet. An Oriental with big blue eyes stared up at me.

"Hi, I'm Max," I said politely, trying to overwhelming kneejerk reaction to punch him and run. I wasn't sure why I didn't like him, but I assumed that any guy looking at my Mom with affection would make me protective of her. "I'm her daughter," I added in case he didn't get the hint.

"Yes, I remember you when you were a baby," he said with a smile. "You've grown a lot since then; it's hard to believe that it has been fourteen years already."

I rolled my eyes. _Cut with the crap,_ I wanted to say. _I don't like suck ups._ "Well, I have homework to do…" I said as a reminder to Mom that we _really_ needed to get home. I hoped Fang was close because I wasn't sticking out this conversation any longer.

"Right, sorry Justin but we really need to get back home," Mom said apologetically. "I'm sure you understand. It's been nice talking to you again."

"Yeah," he said. He opened out his arms and Mom hugged him quickly. I wanted to gag, but I figured that she'd probably make me clean it up anyway so it was a waste of my effort. "I'll call you."

"I'd like that. Goodbye."

I clutched her arm and towed her toward the lobby, careful not to say a thing until we were out of there. When we were securely in the car, I was too worked up for the yell-a-thon that I wanted to take part in. I just sat there, my arms crossed over my chest, staring out the passenger door window.

Mom sighed. "I know you're annoyed Max," she began without looking at me. "Tell me what's wrong."

I sniffed and kept a firm gaze on the moving scenery, cause you know I _love_ being the adult in a situation like this. She knows what's wrong, but she wants me to admit it.

"Max…" Her voice had a warning in it. I really didn't feel like talking but I was going to give her what she wanted to hear.

"Mom, what do you want me to say? That everything's fine? I've been working for the past four hours nonstop, and when I get home I still have more work to do. I still have one more day of Mr. Reinhard ahead, and a whole week of the kennel. Do you expect me to take everything in stride and say 'I know I did wrong and I'm gonna accept my punishment with a smile'? I'm tired of this already! Don't you think just telling me that you're disappointed and that you don't want me to do it again is enough of a reminder not to do it again? I learned my lesson yesterday."

"I know," she said after a second's pause. We pulled up in front of our home and she cut the engine. I hoped Fang was here. "I thought about this punishment carefully, and I think what I made you do today wasn't right. You shouldn't have to clean the kennel by yourself." I tried to keep my face smooth so she wouldn't know that I wasn't alone. "Both Ella and Fang said that it was unfair, so I think for the rest of the week you'll be sorting out medicine and assisting me with my appointments."

My ears perked. "Really?" I didn't want to get my hopes up and then have reality crashing down on me again. This sounded more like the Mom I loved.

She nodded. "I saw you working really hard, and I know you do understand that what you did was wrong. That's why I'm appeasing your work load, and I promise you won't be home this late again."

I grinned. "Thanks Mom!" And, get this, for once I hugged her. I'm not generally the type of person who likes hugging people – and to my great horror, there are those out there who do – but I thought this was an exception. We pulled apart and she opened her door. I bit my lower lip and shot a glance toward the house. I couldn't tell if Fang had gotten back or not. Since there was no point having Mom question my behavior by waiting in the car, I followed her to the house.

We stepped into the house to see Ella in the kitchen stirring up some rice and beans. "Hey, Ella," Mom said, coming up and giving her a hug. "Thanks for starting dinner. Where's Fang?"

She shrugged. "In his room, I think."

Mom nodded and my heart thudded. Was Ella still covering for him or was he really there. "Well, I'll call him in for food."

"That should get him out of his cave," I muttered to myself.

Mom headed toward his room while I hobbled over to the fridge. I was dead tired and I felt like I was going to pass out as soon as my head hit something soft. I opened the door and looked through containers of various foods to find what I wanted. In the back was a carton of every kid's favorite – chocolate milk. I could already taste its creamy goodness on my tongue. I reached in when I felt my body tense, the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. "Ugh, Fang, quit it!" I yelled before even turning around, and when I did I nearly fell over by his close proximity. He was standing over me, looking down with a smirk.

"I really can't believe I haven't been doing this sooner," he said with some amusement. "It's fun scaring you."

I pushed his chest so I could make room to get around him. "In case you haven't noticed I didn't fall down this time."

His expression didn't change. "I'll have to work harder at it."

I groaned. He was impossible. He started walking away but I grabbed his wrist. He was startled but looked at me with a questioning expression. "Thanks, for before," I said quietly. I heard Ella snicker and I shot her a look that shut her up instantly.

He nodded, and I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw something light in his black eyes.

* * *

"Attention students, I have an important announcement to make," Mr. Reinhard announced over the intercom. He wasn't sure why he was doing this. He looked over his shoulder and got a short, curt nod from Mr. Darnell in encouragement. "Today's first period will be cancelled for a special assembly that will be taking place in the auditorium. All students are to report there immediately after homeroom. Seats are arranged by grade, freshman in front and seniors in back. Please seat yourselves promptly so we can utilize all the time. Thank you." He released his thumb from the button and sighed.

"This is going to be a big change," Mr. Darnell said, approaching the principal in that regal way he had. Mr. Reinhard couldn't explain why he felt uneasy about the younger man. "You'll see a difference in the conduct of your students. All other schools in the district have already taken these measures, and it's time that Nimitz High is recognized on the same level as all the others."

The principal sighed. He thought this was a ridiculous step in "the right direction", that it was too harsh. The students here didn't behave that badly, he thought. They never did anything that required him to come down too hard on any particular teen. Even James Griffith, who he'd suspended for two weeks, was that biggest punishment he had given out in years.

"Don't you think this is very… sudden?" Mr. Reinhard asked slowly. He knew he's agreed to this, but he wanted to give it a try anyway. "Our kids aren't bad. I don't see why bringing in _everyone_ is necessary."

Mr. Darnell smiled and played with something in his pant pocket. "We have some new officers, and we wanted to get them experience on a smaller level before getting to the big crimes. Besides, there are only ten guards. We aren't bringing in a full force."

"Just to remind you I only took up this deal on a trial and error basis," the principal reminded him. "Once all the commotion from the stink bomb incident dies down, then we'll discuss how we want to proceed from there."

"Of course." Mr. Darnell's grin was blinding. He pulled out a cell phone, the item he was fiddling with earlier. "If you excuse me, Sean, I need to make a phone call."

He nodded. "Yes, go on." Mr. Darnell walked out of his office into the reception room.

Mr. Reinhard sighed. He wasn't sure if allowing a whole squad of fully trained guards to police his school to enter was the greatest decision he'd made. The way they were – strong, burly men that were all extremely good looking – unnerved him somehow, like it wasn't natural. Mr. Darnell had assured him that they can stay for as long as he desires, and that if it doesn't work out they'll move on from there. He also didn't know why the younger man found this necessary for raising Nimitz High's name on a local standard, but he decided to wait and see how things would play out.

* * *

**Sooo, I still haven't found Mojo. It's still hard writing, but since I have the computer basically all day I might try to update again tonight. It all depends on if I finish the next chapter and if I can find my mojo. If anyone sees him tell me!!! Also Max is a little OOC, so I apologize for that.**

**Luna, I'm intersted in knowing why you don't think the Fax will work out. I have some ideas of what I want for the two in the future (and when I mean future, I mean like in a sequal, or I may make it a trilogy. hmmm...), but even then I'm not completely sure what I want to happen. cloudNrain, hahaha I love to hear (read, whatever) those words! Thank you for the poster idea, but it really hasn't been working. Mo, nope, sorry it wasn't Ari. In this book he's a kid like he was supposed to be until they Eraserfied him. I don't think he'll be in this book at all, but maybe the sequal *cough*. **

**As promised, next chapter will be a Fang chapter (everyone cheers now). It will fastforward a couple weeks from here, so everyone knows. Also, I will be taking off my poll once I post Chapter 22, so anyone who hasn't voted please do!! Once I take it down, I'll post a few fun polls that will change weekly.**

**Please Review!!!!!!!**


	22. First Attack a First?

**Chapter 22 – First Attack a First?**

Fans roared in excitement, jumping up and down and pumping their fists in the air. On the sidelines, cheerleaders shouted with passion without pausing in their choreographed routines. The scoreboard read "Guest: 7 Nimitz High: 10" in the second quarter. The game was rough; bodies were tackling each other at full force, passes were being intercepted, and running backs would dodge a couple safeties as if they were traffic cones only to be brought down by a massive linebacker. It had been tight, but for now Nimitz High had the upper edge.

It was officially October, and it seemed like a change in the calendar brought with it a change in the weather as well. It instantly cooled from the spikes of heat that September could reach. It was a comfortable jeans-and-t-shirt temperature during the day, and at night it required a light jacket. The trees surrounding the football field were beginning to turn the brilliant colors of fall: yellow, orange, red, brown. They were like splashes of color in the dark night, beautifully illuminated by the large stadium lights. The scent of roasting hot dogs, sugar, and sweat wafted through the air.

Fang sat in the top corner of the furthermost stand from the field with a sketchpad balanced on his lap. He was working on a drawing of the entire stadium, capturing the physicality of the game, the enthusiasm in the crowd from both sides. He wished he could capture the other endearing senses that came along with the scene such as the smell and the constant hum of the crowd, but whoever saw the piece could probably imagine it themselves.

It was refreshing to see the school in high spirits, he thought with melancholy. Ever since Principal Reinhard had introduced the new security guards at school, they had been bossing around students to the point where they were afraid to laugh in the hallways. The sound of secretive gossip was replaced by the hollow echoes of footsteps and the metallic clang of closing lockers. Even though Fang wasn't the particularly friendly type, it was reassuring and somehow more… school-like to walk through the halls with the chatter of classmates filling the small area. Now it was more like a prison, and it wasn't right.

Dr. Martinez had told him to enjoy his school experience while the opportunity was still around, so that was the only reason he had come to the Homecoming football game. He wasn't going to the dance tomorrow night, which was open for all students, and he didn't want to either. Besides, it was more fun watching the manly sport anyway, America's sport supposedly, next to baseball. He even decided to show a little school pride by wearing a navy army jacket that buttoned up to his throat and dark gray jeans. He reclined back against the plastic seat and went back to his sketch.

He wasn't sure why, but he wished Max was here. Maybe because Principal Reinhard had made part of her punishment being unable to attend the game, he felt bad for her. It would have been nice to have someone to joke with about the fat kids with their shirts off, with CNHS painted on their stomachs, or watching the admiral mascot doing the moonwalk on the sidelines. There would be more football games in the future, he knew, but nothing topped the excitement of Homecoming weekend.

Nimitz's quarterback took the snap out of shotgun, shuffled on the balls of his feet for a couple seconds then fired the ball down the field. It whistled over all players' heads in a perfect spiral, just missing the outstretched arms of a corner back and into the hands of a receiver. He sprinted past the last-ditch efforts of the corner back to tackle him and raced down the field into the end zone. A sea of students dressed in navy shot to their feet and cheered, while the opponent's fans all groaned in disappointment. The receiver spiked the ball and his teammates swarmed him for the touchdown. The special's team quickly ran on the field and converted the extra point field kick.

The referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the quarter. It was halftime with the scoreboard reporting "Guest: 7 Nimitz High: 17".

Fang placed his sketchpad in his backpack and slipped it over his shoulder. He rose from the seat and stretched, feeling the bones in his shoulders crack with stiffness. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but he hadn't really worked his muscles too hard for a while until he moved in with the Martinez's.

A crowd of adults started walking down the aisle steps, making their way out of the field area to the concession stands. The students lingered and wandered toward the middle set of bleachers to get a great view of the field. Some kids wheeled a small make-shift stage on the turf. Tonight they were supposed to announce the nominees for Homecoming King and Queen. Fang didn't want to watch, and feeling his stomach growl unsteadily, he wanted to get something to eat. He followed the crowd that headed for ground level.

On the other side of the bleachers looked like the Promise Land to him. Stands of food lined the edge of a chain link fence and one stand sold the high school's merchandise. He was hungry for just about everything, so went to the emptiest line first. That one was on the other side of the walkway, selling fried classics of hot dogs, French fries, pierogies, mozzarella sticks, and basically every other food item that you could cook by sticking in grease. It wasn't the healthiest, but he'd had authentic Mexican dishes for the past month and wanted to splurge on the "American classics".

After purchasing an order of just about everything on their menu, he took his food to benches scattered on a patch of grass opposite the stands. They were mostly filled up but he was lucky to find one that was empty. He sat and ate his food greedily.

As he pulled the lanky mozzarella cheese from the breaded shell with his teeth, he felt his body go rigid. He whirled his torso to search tothe source of what caused the warning signs to go off. Across the strip, near where he'd exited the stands, was a burly man wearing a suit with sunglasses and a headset. Despite his eyes being covered, it seemed as though he was staring straight at Fang. The teen eyed him wearily.

Fang suddenly felt threatened, despite tons of people being around. His senses spiked as he was hyperawareof every noise being made around him. A deep male's laugh, hushed whispers, men talking on cell phones. Every little detail made his heart race at an alarming rate. He wanted to make a full-on sprint to the fence and go home. But he was experienced; he knew he had to be secretive.

He finished off the last of his French fries and rubbed the grease and salt off on his jeans. His gaze casually swept over everyone in the area, only to see the guard still looking in his direction. His only goal now was to escape. But this was Fang, after all, and he was going to play it cool. No one ever saw him freak out.

After throwing away his garbage, he strode at a normal pace to the bathroom. Once inside, he spotted only a couple men at a sink. All he had to do was wait until they left. He walked up to the open sink next to them and washed his hands purposefully. They left quickly, and giving the bathroom a look-over, he took a breath and became invisible. It had been over two weeks since he'd started, and the more he did it the easier it was to blend in with his surroundings. The only flaw in the skill was if he, like, ran into someone or something. Then keeping silent was the hardest part.

He ran out the entrance, grateful that it was the door-less kind, and ran for the gate as if his life depended on it. Which it probably did.

* * *

"Striker, what's your report on subject 2075?" A deep, scratchy voice appeared in Striker's headset.

He had just watched the mentioned subject walk into the bathroom and it hadn't come out in over two minutes. Pressing the button on his earpiece, he spoke in the lovely, genetically enhanced voice. "Subject 2075 walked into a building two minutes ago, but I haven't seen him since, Simon."

There was a slight pause before Simon continued. "According to Boss, the subject was set to spontaneously mutate at around this age. Switch your shades to the infrared setting to look for any heat source that you haven't seen previously. Do you copy?"

"Copy, Sir." The headset clicked off with a slight beep. Striker casually looked around at the humans swarming within a thirty-foot radius of him. They were all small, weak, and fragile. However, the one advantage they had that he didn't was the word of mouth. If anyone happened to be suspicious of what he actually was, it could make the world headlines in an hour. He had to be cautious for Itex's sake. Every nerve ending in his body told him to chase after that mutant freak that was hiding, to rip its throat out from its neck, play with it like it was a chew toy. Because in the end, that's all those subjects really were – play things for him and his colleagues to enjoy and learn how to hunt on. It was a pathetic excuse for a human, no matter what type of DNA were planted in those little genetic freaks that Itex were so worked up about. Especially this one. He didn't understand why.

They were nowhere on the same level as Striker was. He was the perfect combination of scientific ingenuity. The way he could effortlessly transform was like a work of art. It was seamless now, the way he could shift from his human façade to his true self, unlike when he was just a pup learning the ropes – back then it was painful to change. He was the complete work of design, with his strength, speed, senses, and everything else about him. He was by no means on the same level as the freak they were chasing.

Knowing he had to stick with the program before Simon would ram him to death, he pressed a button on the temple of his sunglasses. After random numerals scrolled down the small screed in the lenses, his vision shifted from normal to red, everything around him appearing in various shades of the color as well as other shades determined by their body heat. He scanned around, looking for something abnormal. In the bathroom where the subject had entered, he couldn't detect any life forms. He sucked in a breath as a hiss, hoping that he hadn't lost track of it or else he would be up for extermination. Frantically looking around for irregular sources of heat, he watched the crowd again.

There, thirty feet away, he spotted blobs of yellow and orange on his screen, without seeing any apparent body to the source. It was moving quickly away from him. Invisibility? That was a clever mutation to develop, even if Itex hadn't prepared for all possibilities.

He clicked his headset again. "Simon, an unidentified source of heat is on the opposite side of the promenade. Possibly subject 2075. Think we should check it out?"

"Yes, but don't follow it directly, Striker," Simon said in his gruff voice. "It knows what you look like. Walk around the stadium and I'll meet you outside." He paused, and when he spoke again Striker could hear a smile in his voice. "This is it, Striker. What we've been training for will now be put to use. Let's go catch a mutant."

* * *

Fang snuck a glance over his shoulder one last time and sighed in relief. He didn't know why he was acting so paranoid, but something about that guard reminded him of something he'd seen before. All of his senses screamed "run" once he caught sight of the large man, and he wasn't going to go against what his instincts told him to do.

He was running up the less populated part of town, starting to see countless acres of farmland. It was pretty to travel through, if he had really been paying attention to thescenery, but was horrible to breathe in. After living on a farm he wasn't sure if he could ever get his face unstuck from its permanent scrunched up position. The smell of manure was sure to be embedded on his body for a while.

Judging by the streets he was only a few blocks from the Martinez's home. Taking a quick sweep of the area, and deeming that it was free of civilians, he uncloaked himself from invisibility. If he ran like that all the way home, he probably would have passed out, he assumed. He wasn't willing to risk it. He turned down a corner on a single-lane road, hoping to escape any oncoming traffic.

Then he wheeled to a stop.

Down the street, about a hundred feet away, was a large hunk of mass standing erect on the concrete. Fang's eyesight was able to make out the shape in perfect detail. It was a large, heavily muscled man that, from a distance with human eyesight, would have looked like a giant block of marble or rock. The man was bald, veins popping out of his forehead and neck. A scowl that looked permanent was plastered on his face. Fang took a couple steps back only to feel another presence behind him. He whirled and was met by the gaze of the guard he had seen at the football game.

Fang kept his stance low and guarded, standing on the edge of the road so that he could see both of them out of the corner of his eyes. His first reaction was to run, but where would he run to? He would just lead them to Max and the Martinez's, and he didn't want to put them at danger. Plus, two would be able to catch him with more ease than only one. He needed to fight, or at least distract them enough for him to run away, but jeez, they had to be fast to catch up to him.

"Where do you think you're going?" the large one farthest away asked, approaching Fang and the guard. He loosened his arms from where they'd been crossed on his chest and cracked his knuckles. "We just want to talk."

Fang, true to his nature, kept silent and shot deathly glares at the two men that would normally make people run screaming for their lives. It was obvious they weren't fully human.

"Simon, I don't think he talks," the guard said, unbuttoning his sports coat and throwing it to the ground. "It must have been a defect in his design. Isn't that right, Mutant?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Fang said honestly. His muscles clenched in preparation – he was ready to fight. He went to roll up his sleeves when he realized he was wearing his favorite jacket. He suppressed a groan in exasperation; he didn't want it to get ruined. He removed it swiftly and left it with his backpack on the ground behind him – he was hoping to get it later, if he could make it out this time.

"He's trying to play the innocent card," the guard said with feigned disappointment. "He acts like he doesn't know what he is."

"Maybe we should teach him a lesson," the other, Simon, interjected. "Remind him that he isn't like everyone else."

Fang made sure his face didn't betray his true emotions. His heart was racing, and every second the two were closing in on him. He didn't know what they were talking about. The invisibility? His good vision? Those were his only characteristic he ever noticed that made him different.

"Bring it," he said, eyeing the two with sheer determination.

The guard grinned, only it wasn't a regular human grin. Large fangs poked out of his gums, cutting into his lower lip. His eyes gleamed red as the rest of his slowly began to change. His body bulked up considerably, hair sprouting in excess over his arms, neck, and face. Tearing sounds shredded through the silent street, whether it was the clothing or the guard's body, Fang wasn't sure. In a matter of seconds, a huge, wolf-like creature was standing where the guard had been. It was easily seven feet tall, standing on its two hind legs, with large dagger-like claws and dripping fangs. It's slimy tongue licked its lips as it gave Fang a wolfy grin.

He took a step back, terror and recognition marking his features. He wasn't sure how, but he knew he'd seen a creature like this before.

"Starting to remember?" Simon asked. Out of the corner of Fang's eye, he saw the other man begin to transform, too, only his was very different from the other's shift. It appeared as though the hair on his arms receded into his skin, and that the skin was expanding considerably, turning a sickly gray color. His body began to look coarser and dry, the epidermis looking dry and cracking in long lines down the expanse of his bare-chested body. He grew in size, too, reaching a height taller than the wolf creature. A large spike poked from where his nose had been as his face wrinkled and grayed over. When he was finished, he appeared to be a human-like rhinoceros. He had to weigh a ton at least. How was Fang supposed to fight him, let alone both of them?

The rhino man roared loudly, pounding his heavy feet against the cement as he charged, his head ducked so his horn was the first thing that would make contact. Fang patiently waited, but was concerned about the advance of the wolf from his other side. Once the rhino was close, Fang sidestepped what would have surely been a painful blow, and went to punch the large man. The shot only sent a wave of pain radiating through his fist, making everything from his fingers to his elbow feeling like Jell-O. He gritted his teeth to keep from yelling out in pain.

The wolf came up from behind him quickly, and all Fang could do in defense was raise the gelatin arm to protect his face. He gasped as he felt the skin on his arm tear off, but was quick not to let the pain make him vulnerable. He jump-kicked the wolf, catching it in the throat. A strangled cry escaped from its lips.

Fang backed off to access the scene – the wolf was momentarily doubled over and he rhino was rearing to charge again. He snuck a glance at his forearm and saw four long lines had been ranked down the side, blood oozing from the wound.

Simon-as-rhino ran at Fang again, the ground shaking under his immense weight. Fang looked behind him to see a rock wall just to his left. He took a quick step over and back. It was such a subtle move, but it made a huge difference to Simon. He had to change the angle of his advance, which in turn slowed him down. Fang noticed him slow and scowled. He needed the rhino to go faster. He backed up all the way until the sharp stone edges cut into his back. The rhino got closer, picking up speed, and was inches away from Fang when the teen jumped out of the way. It was so close that he felt the edge of Simon's horn cut the sleeve of his shirt.

Simon didn't have time to stop and ran horn-first into the stone wall. It shuddered with the impact and he just completely stopped, the strike making his brain rattle painfully. Loose rocks from the top of the wall rolled off and landed on his head, which he couldn't even throw his hands up to protect himself. He fell backwards like a sack of potatoes and was out cold.

Fang ducked away from the falling stones and ran back to the center of the street. The wolf was growling at him, fangs exposed, frothing at the mouth. The teen had gained even more confidence from outsmarting the rhino and was ready to face the wolf head on.

"C'mon, you overgrown, flea-ridden _mongrel_," Fang taunted. "Attack me."

The wolf howled, and in the distance dogs barked angrily. "You're the freak, not me!" it growled, but its words were garbled by the fangs. It had learned from Simon and wasn't going to attack unless Fang initiated it.

Fang, suddenly feeling the loss of blood catching up on him, realized that he needed to end this soon. He could feel the warm, sticky liquid from his arm staining his jeans. At least his jacket wasn't ruined, he thought with some humor. He sighed, knowing that he had to fight the creature. And he didn't like being called a freak, especially since he wasn't the one that was a crazed animal.

At first he acted like he wasn't going to move, then he feinted to the side and ran full speed at the wolf. It jumped out of the way and swiped at his chest but missed. He landed a punch on the wolf's chest, since it was so much taller than him, with his good hand. The blow pushed the wolf back and inch, but then kicked at Fangs head, sending him to the ground. He rolled over and jumped back to his feet quickly.

"Is that the best you can do?" Fang asked trying to get it so worked up that it fought off of rage as opposed to its head.

"I was wondering the same about you," it growled in response. He leaped at the teen, punching him in the face. Fang's head snapped to the side painfully. He tasted the coppery blood in his mouth. He spit it at the wolf's face and it snarled at the disrespectful action. It swiped at his face and left a line of scarlet in wake of where his claws had been. The teen held his face and grimaced, sucking in a breath as a hiss.

"Finally, Boss will be pleased when I capture you," it said proudly. "You are prized in their eyes, which I don't understand. You're just a screw up of an experiment. Look how good you turned out."

An earsplitting crack sounded as Fang jumped to jab the wolf below the jaw. He grimaced, feeling like something snapp in his hand, but still magaged to land lightly on his feet. He watched with grim satisfaction as the wolf fell to the side and struggled to get up, but couldn't.

Fang looked around, both inhuman creatures still on the ground. He hoped more weren't coming, seeing how hard it was to fight these two. He quickly grabbed his jacket and backpack, heading for the Martinez's as fast as he could, coming up with a logical explanation for the injuries and hoping he wouldn't pass out before he got there.

* * *

**I got a little carried away this chapter. :P Haha, sorry for the length although that might be a good thing. I think I write better from Fang's pov, but sorry the next one is Max again. I _think_I found mojo, but it's hard to tell. I'll let you know later. So as most people guessed, Erasers came in this chapter. I mean, what good MR story doesn't have Erasers? However I changed things up a bit by making a different kind of Eraser, aka the Rhino-dude. I think I might make even more varieties, but I'm not sure yet. The traditional wolf ones are awesome!**

**NITESIDE, I knew what OOC meant before, but honestly I didn't know what the difference between that and OC was, so I looked it up for the both of us! OOC means "out of character", and OC means "original character", like if you write a story that you created a main character and they meet the ones from a story or something. Also AU means "alternate universe", in case you're wondering, cause I didn't know that either. Meemz94, yeah, it's predictable, but I thought I'd make it a little more original. :) cloudNrain, hopefully your mojowill serve you well. :D Anara, thanks, :) But I always feel better when Mojo is by my side. Mo, didn't Max say before that you don't call Fang adorable??? Haha, jk. I didn't mean to put that in originally, but I thought she should get some kind of hint that he likes her.**

**To put more light on the story, there will be at least one more story, possibly a third one. So if things are going kind of slow, that's because it doesn't have to be rushed. *cough cough* :D I sort of know what will happen in a second one, but I don't have it completely planned. Also, I decided to keep the poll up since it is, like, practically even. 25-24??? Argh! I mean, I could do the story either way, but I want like a clear runaway, which I probably won't get. **

**Please review!!!!!!!!**


	23. Can You Keep A Secret?

**Chapter 23 – Can You Keep A Secret?**

Have you ever had one of those nights where it just seemed like no matter how long it feels like you've been doing something, time doesn't pass? I was living it right now.

I sat on the sofa in countless positions: the proper upright, reclining against both arms, throwing my legs over the back and letting my head dangle upside down over the cushion. I spent ten minutes flipping through all 300 channels what felt like 300 times, and yet I still couldn't find something good to watch. I did see our high school football game on a local network, but I didn't feel like watching. I mean, sure I wasn't allowed to go, but would I have wanted to anyway? Ugh. I wasn't even sure why Fang went.

Thinking of Fang made me glance at the clock… again. It was only around 8:30, and even though I knew the game was still going on, it felt like he'd been gone forever. Did I miss him? I wasn't sure. I see him all the time, so maybe that's why it felt wrong to be away from him. Okay, that feeling was irrational, but I was on edge and his lack of presence around the house didn't sit well with me. I almost felt like something bad was gonna happen.

Tonight it was just my Mom and I, since Fang was out and Ella was sleeping over at a friend's house. Mom offered to take me out, to do what I don't know, but I declined, mostly because I had tons of homework to catch up on thanks to working countless hours on the weeknights last week. But since I found it hard concentrate on schoolwork on a Friday night, you can guess where I was right now.

Mom, watching my shifting in boredom for the last hour, walked in from the kitchen with two bowls of ice cream. She plopped down next to me and set the bowls in front of us, and I couldn't help but smile, feeling a little better. It was vanilla and chocolate twist with two large chocolate chip cookies sticking out of the sides. She always knew my favorite.

"I thought I'd make this for you," she said warmly, like a mother always should. Lately we'd been back on better terms, like the way a mother and daughter should be, as opposed to having a boss-employee relationship.

"Thanks." I grinned at her. Then I scooped up some ice cream on the cookie and swallowed it. Hmmm… if this wasn't heaven, it was pretty dang close.

It was silent except for the clanking of spoons against bowls, our chewing, and the hum of the TV, which neither of us was watching.

"Honey…" Mom began, setting her dish down momentarily. I didn't like conversations that started out that way. "I know you wouldn't have gone anyway, but I think you should start… enjoying yourself a little more." I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "I know that it's partially my fault for keeping you busy on the farm, but you're fourteen years old. It's time to have some fun and spend time with kids your age."

I looked at her as if she's asked me if I wanted to be beamed up by aliens. She knew better than anyone else that I didn't associate well with people my own age. "Where are you getting at?" I asked cautiously. She had to be up to something.

Her eyes were like warm cinnamon. "Max, I want you to be able to look back at these years and have amazing memories. I don't want you to miss out on anything because you were too stubborn to want to just spend a Friday night with some friends. Take advantage of this time while life is simple, when all you have to care about is yourself."

Like I had any friends to spend time with, I wanted to say. I sat back and examined her carefully. I really had no idea where she was going with this, but that's when it hit me, like a ton of bricks across the head. I gasped. "You want me to go out so that you can spend time with that Justin guy!" I exclaimed. We hadn't talked about him since that night at the vet practice, but I did hear her talking to someone on the phone occasionally with a little too much benevolence.

She frowned. "What?"

"Don't act like I'm not reading exactly into what you're doing. Mom, I know that you deserve to go out with any guy you want, but you don't have to force me out of the home just so that you can go out with him. I'm fourteen. I can stay home alone. But don't you think you should talk this over with Ella and I _before_ you go out on dates?"

"Max-"

The door slammed open with force, shaking the picture frames hanging nearby. Mom and I turned our attention toward the door and gasped. What we saw we weren't prepared for.

Fang was standing in the doorframe, breathing heavily. His skin was extremely pale, blood crusted on his face and one arm, as well as splattered on his jeans. A huge bruise was beginning to turn a hideous shade of purple and gray on his cheek. He looked like death incarnated.

"Oh, my God! Fang!" I cried, not knowing what else to say or why I reacted so... unlike me.

"Fang! What happened?" Mom asked. We both shot from the couch and swarmed him. He looked like he was going to collapse at any second. My heart was constricting painfully and it felt like my stomach was caving in. I was shaking in fear and rage. What happened to him?!? Who could do damage like that to Fang? He was the strongest person I knew, besides myself obviously.

Mom ushered him to the kitchen where the lighting was better and sat him on a chair. She examined his wounds not as Mom, but as Dr. Valencia Martinez. She may not be a human doctor, but she was close enough. "Really, Fang, what happened?" she asked, twisting his arm carefully while looking at four long stripes cut from wrist to elbow.

He took in a slightly shaky breath and looked at us levelly. Jeez, even when the kid was in pain he acted like nothing was wrong. "The game got a little rowdy," he said quietly. "I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"A little rowdy?" I scoffed, finding his comment funny for no real reason. "This is our school we're talking about, right? Not even when we play our rival team does our school start fighting. Did you say something about a football player's mother?"

He cracked a smile. "I should have known better."

Maybe I found it funny because, despite taking a huge beating, he still seemed like himself. I knew he wasn't clear by a long shot, but this eased my fears a bit. I knew he was lying. We were joking for Mom's sake, but I was certain he knew that I wasn't going to accept that as an answer.

Mom didn't find this exchange humorous at all. She motioned to the cuts on his arm. "These look like someone cut you with a razor blade."

He shrugged and didn't say anything.

"This is serious. You're becoming anemic. You might need a transfusion if you lose too much blood. I should probably take you to the hospital."

I panicked and Fang's eyes widened a fraction. "I'd prefer not to," he said.

She sighed and straightened up. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. I'm going to get the emergency kit in my room. Max, keep talking to him. I need him to stay conscious." I nodded and she left for her room.

"I thought you said you weren't emo?" I asked. My heart was beating wildly and my hands were still convulsing involuntarily. Mom's words were starting to sink in. He could be seriously injured, besides from the obvious wounds.

Instead of laughing, he scowled at me.

"You heard Mom, you need to talk, so say something." I reclined against the island in the center of the kitchen. "Now, we both know you didn't get hurt at the game, so why don't you start with how you really got hurt."

He looked at everything except me. I was waiting for him to admit it because he knew he couldn't keep this from me. Especially after all the times I'd opened up to him. We had that kind of connection, and if I could trust him, he should be able to trust me.

_It's like I told you earlier,_ the Voice said. _Trust is important. Having a friend you can trust is more than most people have._

_Yeah, well tell that to him._

Mom walked back in, and Fang finally met my gaze. "I'll tell you later," he said so quietly, I wasn't sure I heard him. She kneeled in front of him and started opening pouches and pulling items out. She clutched the hand that didn't look injured to examine it, and he winced once her fingers made contact with his knuckles.

"This feels broken," she said with the click of her tongue. "I don't have a splint, so we'll probably go to the hospital…" After the look he shot her she changed her mind. "Or the doctor's office. It's not as big and it will probably take less time." She dabbed at the blood on his face and arm. "And you'll probably need stitches, too." He nodded, seeming to doze off a bit. "Fang, say something before you become unconscious. The two of us might not be able to carry you if you pass out."

"Sorry," he muttered.

She pulled back. "That's the best I can do. Get changed into something clean so I can take you to the doctor." He stood up and headed toward his room. Mom looked at me. "Follow him," she said quietly, and I proceeded eagerly. I needed my answers now.

I snuck into his room before he could close the door. He glared at me. "Get out. I need to get changed."

I shook my head and smiled evilly. "Nope, I've been told to keep an eye on you. And it's not like you're getting naked." I leaned against the wall opposite him. "Besides, you owe me an explanation."

He exhaled sharply and walked toward me. He glanced out the door and, determining that Mom wasn't around, closed it swiftly. "Don't say anything until I'm done," he warned quietly. I nodded and tried not to watch him take off his jeans. Dang teenage hormones and fans getting the wrong idea. I don't see how seeing him in boxers was any different than him in shorts. And it wasn't like I was getting the wrong thoughts from this, either. Jeez, everyone always assumes the naughty things. He reached into his dresser and pulled out some jeans, slipping them on awkwardly with one hand. "You know those guards that have been around school for the last two weeks?"

I nodded. "Yeah, the psycho ones that don't let us do anything?" They had basically ruined everyone's lives at school. I thought Mr. Reinhard was a cool guy, but allowing those dumbasses to patrol the school was the most boneheaded situation I had ever seen in my life. I even told Mom to call in a complaint, but she didn't believe that it was as bad as I claimed.

He stared at me seriously, his black eyes boring into mine. "I felt like they were watching me, so I left, and they chased me halfway back to here."

"They did _what_?" I gasped. So they were psycho, not like that was in debate, but still. Fang shot me a hard look that shut me up instantly.

"I told you not to say anything until I was done," he reminded me. "But yeah, they followed me, saying that I was, and I quote, a "mutant" and a "freak"."

"Did they attack you? With knives?" I caught myself and smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

He rolled his eyes. "They did attack me, but…" he paused to take in a breath. "Not with human weapons. They weren't...uh, they aren't completely human," he said slowly. I looked at him for any sign of a lie in his face, but all I saw his normal stern and impassive expression. Was he serious? They weren't human? "They… are some kind of human-animal hybrid."

I waited for him to say something more, but he didn't. I figured I could step in now. "A human-animal hybrid? Are you serious?"

He seemed to debate whether he should continue and eventually nodded. "I'm not sure," he said as if he were revealing a deep secret. "But I would have sworn I've seen them before. They _looked _familiar, and it was like I had an instinct how to fight them. I didn't consciously think about it, I just reacted."

I looked him over carefully. Now that he mentioned it, he did look like he'd been in a fight. But mutant hybrids? "Wouldn't they, like, kill people without raising a pinky? I mean, I know you're strong, but how did you stand a chance against them? But of course, I have no experience to pull off of, so what do I know?""

"I guess I shouldn't have been able to… but I did."

I leaned further against the wall and thought hard. Okay… so Fang seemed to have more strength than the average fourteen-year-old, but did I really believe that he fought against hybrids. Sure, there have been tons of medical advancements in the past few decades, but I'd never heard of anything like that happening. Then again, why shouldn't I believe Fang? He believed me when I told him I had a voice in my head. I brushed a strand of hair that escaped from my braid behind my ear.

_Hey, Voice, have any nuggets of wisdom on the situation?_

After a moment, I was pleased to hear the Voice answer. _Not seeing is believing, Max. Remember what I told you earlier. If you trust Fang, then believe him. If not, then that's your own decision._

_Ugh, what do you know about the hybrids?_ I felt myself getting a headache. I gritted my teeth and rubbed my head. Fang raised an eyebrow at me and I mouthed "The Voice" to him. He nodded.

I swore I heard it sigh. _You'll learn about them more personally, Max._

_So… they do exist? _Was the Voice giving me an answer?

_Yes and no, depends on how you take the word 'exist' to mean. Do they occur naturally? No. But they are around._

_So if they don't exist, how do they exist? _I hated brain twisters more than anything else. _What about our powers? Are you saying they don't 'exist' either since they don't happen in nature?_

_Now you're getting the idea, Max. Everything is connected._

How are the powers and the hybrids connected? I almost growled. _I'm done with you._ I looked at Fang. "The Voice said that our powers and the hybrid are connected."

He chuckled. "I didn't need a voice to tell me that."

I rolled my eyes, but then my heart stuttered when I saw him wobble and place a hand on the wall to support himself. I rushed to his side to steady him. "We should probably go now."

He nodded.

I started to wrap my arm around his back to help him but he shook me off. I glared at him for being stubborn. He just _had_ to be tough about it. Typical. I walked out before him but paused when I felt his eyes on my back. Slowly I turned to see his dark eyes staring at me tersely. "I need you to promise me something," he said, his voice matching his expression.

I thought about his statement before answering. "It depends on what you want."

He rolled his eyes but continued. "Don't tell your mom about the guards attacking me."

I blanched. "What? Why shouldn't I tell her? If she calls Mr. Reinhard, he could have them out of the school in no time! We can finally have freedom again. Those guards have had too much time bossing our school around."

"Fist of all, why would she believe that trained guards would attack a student without thinking that I'd done something to deserve it?" he questioned factually, and I cursed his ability have thought through everything beforehand. "And if she did believe me, why would they use knives on someone? They have Tasers now. Also, what if they find out we turned them in? They won't be happy and they'll probably come back here to punish us for it." Another good point.

I thought of it for a moment and realized that it was probably for the best. "Okay, I won't tell my mom. But we should really go before she gets suspicious."

We walked out of his room and, for the briefest moment, I felt his hand graze against the small of my back. It was only for a second, and it rocketed off before I could turn my head to question him about the gesture. But of course, all I saw were his blank eyes staring at me. I sighed. I didn't understand Fang completely, or his motives half the time, but I did know I trusted him more than anyone else I knew.

* * *

**I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I tried writing this chapter before, but I hated where it was going so I completely rewrote it today. I've been having so much trouble writing (Mojo is still gone), and whenever I try to write and nothing good comes out it gives me a killer headache. Maybe I'm getting a voice, besides the ones I already have. :P But seriously, I'm considering taking a break for a few days. Just to kind of clear my head. I can't say it's official, but it's a serious possibility. If I do take a break, I'll let you know. But the only thing that keeps me writing is that I want this done before August.**

**Mo, not sure if rhinos are particularly smart animals. Then again, I don't claim to be an animal expert. Also, I didn't make Max freak out only because Fang knew he had to tell her the truth, and she knew it too. Saya, if I do find Mojo, you can pet him. :) Kina Kalamari, it's actually kind of fun to torture Fang. Cause you know, I'm not sadistic or anything. ;) 4everHoldYourPeace, thanks for the compliment. Anara, maybe i should have explained it better. he wasn't really happy to be at the _game_, per say, but kind of enjoying watching the atmosphere. He's an artist, so he enjoys having new things to draw. Then again, his style of art may not particularly be the cheerful kind. Hmmm... maybe he was drawing everyone as zombies instead. :P I don't know, I blame not having mojo, but I appreciate that being pointed out. dt2009, nope, not the end! It still has a while to go, I think. It won't end before some real action takes place, and I'm sure it's not too hard to guess what it will be. ;)**

**So remember, the poll is still up to those who haven't voted. Also, on my profile page, I created a new copy&paste game called "Random Shuffle Game". There have probably been stuff like it before, but basically you put your iPod on random shuffle and record the first 10 songs that show up, without editing it. Copy and paste the game onto your profile and recommend it to your friends. I want to see it circulate people!**

**Review please!**


	24. Author's Note

**Hey, I wanted to let everyone know that, despite what everyone may want, I'm kind of taking a break from Not So Normal. (everyone goes "awww") I'm kind of in a rut and I don't know where to go, and also with mojo gone I really feel like I'm not putting out my best work. I don't really have the motivation or the inspiration to write right now. And I'm kind of feeling under pressure because there's a lot I have to do this summer and I havent been doing it. **

**The thing is, I don't want to be done with the story, because I really think it could have been awesome, but I don't want to ruin it while it seems like the creative juices have stopped flowing. Well, not exactly. I keep coming up with tons of awesome ideas for stories, but when I sit down to write them it seems nothing good really comes out either. I might start working on these in the meantime to see if they'll help bring some kind of inspiration back. Tell me what you think of these two ideas. **

**No Title Yet**

**Maximum Ride is the ruthless leader of a postapocolyptic society, Corentine, which rules that no humans are to be living anymore. Ignacious Till is her mighty second in command and leader of the army. Corentine's citizens pressure that the two should marry, but Maximum doesn't particularly like the idea. While she's out on a night fly, she sees someone that catches her eye. A strong man and skilled fighter lets his attacker live, a taboo never broken on Corentine soil. She is fascinated by his mercy, but the closer she gets to him the deeper she realizes that she could be up for execution herself – he's a human. Will she overcome the pressure of a merciless society to let the man she loves live or will she give in so that she remains the powerful empress that the citizens adore?**

**A Ghost of Me**

**Based off of Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley. Fang dies, only to realize that death wasn't nearly what he thought it would be when he wakes up. A mystical guide ushers him into his "dead" life, only to face difficulty when Fang refuses to accept that he's dead. His guide tells him that this is a test to which he must pass in a short amount of time. He must find a way to tell the Flock that he isn't completely dead and that they have to find a way to reunite his spirit form with his body… wherever his body is. If they don't succeed, he will have to face a permanent death. **

**So honestly, I don't know when I'll start up again, but I hope it will only be a couple days or so. We'll see, but it sort of looks good since we got the desk top fixed so now I get the laptop all to myself. Hopefully I can find what I had because I don't want to give up on the story.**

**I'll take some advice if anyone has any; I could really use it! If I get, like, fifteen reviews for this I might just break the hiatus all together no matter what, but since I doubt that I promise to work on the problem. Take care for now.**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	25. Request

**Chapter 24 - Request**

"This. Is. _Torture!_" I bellowed as we hit another pothole at top speed. The bus jerked in all different directions, causing some of the smaller kids to fall into the aisle. Why didn't we get a better bus driver? Then again I didn't know if a better driver would be able to avoid the inevitable – those being the stupid cracks in the road that the town never bothered fixing. I guess they figured that so little people drove over them anyway that there was really no point in resurfacing the road.

Ella was clutching the seat in front of her frantically, but once the bus stopped shaking she sighed in relief and let go. She cranked up her iPod and bobbed her head to the beat of some song I didn't recognize, which meant that it was very popular. I had an uncanny ability of not knowing what was in musically.

Today had pretty crappy already, every pun intended. I tripped over a sheep and fell knee-first into a pile of droppings on the ground. Normally I didn't mind getting dirty, but _not_in that way. It was pretty humiliating, and despite their best efforts, Ella and Fang couldn't refrain from laughing.

So one hot, long shower and a fresh set of clothing later, we were on our way to school. After hearing of Fang's attack, I wanted to keep an eye on the guards that were at school to look for anything suspicious. I knew that James would be back in school today and I was tempted to ask him if he had any spy gear. And if he didn't, he could probably have built some by the end of first period.

I leaned against the side of the bus, letting my forehead press against the window. I had a lot on my mind, varying from the guards to Mom to me with my Voice and even Fang. We had no idea why the guards attacked Fang, or if they would go back for round two today while he was vulnerable. Fang had decided to come to school today, even though he didn't look the greatest. Mom made him go to the doctor's on Friday night and luckily he didn't need a transfusion. All they basically did was stitch up his arm and face, and then took an x-ray of his other hand where they found that his one knuckle was broken. We told them that it was an accident on the farm and the doctor seemed to buy it. Now his right hand was in a brace, a bandage was over the stitches on his face, and the cuts on his arm were covered with gauze held in place by ace bandages. And lucky for him, he got an excuse to sit out of gym.

The bus was pretty much quiet – everyone was tired on a Monday morning – so it was pretty peaceful… except for when we'd come to a sudden stop or bump into a curb or something. I sighed, ready for this day to end already.

I felt eyes on the back of my head, watching me, and I turned to peer over my seat at Fang, who was sitting at the very back of the bus. His dark eyes were hard and impassive, but I could read the silent question in them. He was asking if I was okay. I nodded and looked away, not wanting to face any more scrutiny from him today.

He had been pretty quiet all weekend, retreating into himself. He hardly spoke unless we asked him a direct question and he seemed to be lost in his deep thoughts. Most of the time he was in his room doing God knows what, and when he wasn't there I saw him walk into the forest once. I had no idea what he was up to, but even the normal Fang wasn't as cold or unapproachable as that. He only looked that way. I really didn't want to question him about it but at the same time I was madly curious.

"Do you like him?"

The voice brought me back to reality, and I looked up to see familiar blue eyes looking over the seat in front of me. Blond curls spilled over and around her head like a halo. Angel. Jeez, if I ever saw a cherub I would swear that it would look exactly like her.

But then the question she asked me suddenly registered in my brain. I scowled. "No, why would you think that?" I asked her, feeling a little annoyed. Why was she so concerned about my guy situation? If she wanted to hear about that, she should talk to Ella.

She shrugged her slight shoulders. "I was just wondering. 'Cause I think he likes you."

My mouthwas left agape. Fang likes me? Where does she get all these crazy, impossible ideas from? And of course, in light of such a statement like that, I respond with the smoothest, most to-the-point thing I could think of saying. "Whaaaat?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think he does. The way he looks at you, like he still is right now." My expression froze in place. He was still watching me? I didn't feel his eyes on my back like I did earlier. "I can just tell he does," she went on.

It took me a second to regain my composure before I narrowed my eyes at her. "There is no way that I like him or he likes me, and if you dare bring it up again I swear I will gleefully wring your neck. _Comprende?_" The events from the morning boiled over. In reality I didn't want to hurt Angel, but when she pushed me like that I was bound to snap.

"Suuuure you don't, Max," she giggled and plopped back into her seat. I squelched an appalled shriek that was building up inside of me – that would cause our driver to get in an accident which would only add to my already horrible day. I was holding it in as a favor to all of us.

I slouched back in my seat and huffed. Could today get any worse?

* * *

"Hey, you're back!" I couldn't help but get excited as I came up to James, who was standing at his locker with a big grin on his face. He ran a hand through his pale red hair and laughed.

"Yeah, I'm actually kind of happy to be back. I was getting bored of my room, and being suspended isn't as fun as it sounds. It's like a day off of school, but with all the homework that you have no idea how to do and nothing good on TV. It basically sucks."

I rolled my eyes.

"So, what's been going on around here?" he wondered with strong concern in his voice, eying one of the guards standing down the hall. "Who are _those _guys?"

My eyes narrowed as I took in the totally steroid-addicted man inspecting the herd of students wandering aimlessly through the halls. They had basically made life here a living hell. "They're the guards that Mr. Reinhard hired to '_keep the peace_' but all they've been doing is causing havoc. We need them gone."

His lips scrunched up on one side of his face as he thought and then he grinned again. "I caused the principal to hire guards? Wicked!"

Someone walked down the hall and held out his hand for a high-five, calling, "Nice prank, man!" to James. He held up his hand and their palms met with a loud smack.

I scowled at him. "No, not wicked," I said harshly. He was basking in the glory of being the Prank King, thinking that it was _cool_ that he'd been the cause of bringing in idiotic, evil, muscle-bound guards to bully students. "Those guys have some kind of ulterior motive for being here," I told him quietly, trying to rein in my anger. "They hate it when we have fun, put us in detention for slamming our lockers too loudly, and they hurt F-" I cut myself off, staring wide-eyed at him. I couldn't believe I'd almost told Fang's secret to James after he'd made me promise.

Well, he made me promise not to tell my mom. And James was not a Hispanic woman with a degree in veterinary medicine, unless he had some secret life he wasn't telling me about.

"What?" he asked.

I shook my head. "They, uh, are hurting my feelings," I said in that suave way I had. He didn't buy it, but accepted it for now. "But can I ask you a favor?"

He nodded. "Yeah, what do you need?"

I peeked over my shoulder at the guard, who was currently consulting with a very worried-looking student. Poor sap, probably was walking too fast for everyone's safety. Gonna cause a twenty-kid pileup! I sighed and looked back at James. "Like I said, I think they have some reason for being here, something we don't know about. How good are you at spying?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You want me to spy on them?" he asked incredulously. "You know, I'm probably their main target. I won't be out of their sight."

"Yeah, I know, but if they're always watching you, then they'll always be wherever you are. If you have like some kind of sonar hearing kit or digital recorder we might be able to pick up on what the orders are that come through the headsets they always wear. Anything we can find out will take us one step closer to getting rid of them, _for good._" And maybe find out why they attacked Fang, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Well…" he mused, rubbing his chin pensively, "it's always fun to have a new challenge. I'll see what I can do, but I don't promise any results today."

"Thanks!" With the success of his stink bomb, I knew for sure I was going to get answers.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, just so you know I'm not doing this just because your requested it. I'm curious myself. I want to know if they talk about me a lot, just so I can see how popular I am with the head hancho."

I smacked his arm with enough force that he almost fell over. A satisfied smile curled on my lips as I rolled my eyes and walked away. Crazy, self-absorbed, evil genius - but that's a little redundant, isn't it?

* * *

**Wow! I did not expect to get 17 reviews for the author's note! And I had to admit I was a little down when I saw that everyone thought that I was ending the story. I wasn't, I don't plan on it any time soon, and I really hope I never have to until I finish it. I needed a short break, like I said before. I realize that I probably put some readers through tremendous emotional trauma, and I apologize for that. This break was a lot shorter than I intended, which I think everyone should be grateful for. :P I won't be up to the pre-writer's-block-phase speed when it comes to updating, cause I'm still having some problems with this story, but I will try as often as I can. In the mean time, everyone should check out my latest story, "Ghost of Me". It sounds serious, but in reality it's a humorous story. So please read it!! **

**Thanks for everyone who gave me encouraging words! It really means a lot to see how much everyone cares. I do have the wing situation solved, and that poll has been closed. So everyone should go to my profile to see my new poll which I posted as a way for me to get to know my readers a little better. Kina Kalamari, sorry I never answered that question. Yeah, I'm fine with it as an AU story, and I'm really excited that you nominated me. I feel so honored! Haha, especially since I've only been writing MR fanfiction for a month. So thanks again!!!**

**Now, I know I probably won't get it on this chapter, but in the next couple chappies whoever is the 200th reviewer will get Max's favorite, chocolate chip cookies with ice cream!!! Yah, cause we all know how much everyone loves cookies and ice cream! :D Akk! I can't believe this story is almost at 200 reviews. Hahaha**

**Please Review!!!**


	26. Camaraderie

**Chapter 25 - Camaraderie**

"Hi, are you new here?"

Fang looked up with a bored and slightly frustrated expression at a girl standing in front of the table where he was sitting, suddenly realizing that she was addressing him. He thought for a moment, wondering why she would think that, but then he understood her question with some annoyance. His mind had been preoccupied all weekend and it had been interfering with his focus on schoolwork. Now it was apparently messing with the way he socialized, not that he really did that to begin with.

"Uh, no," he said, coughing to hide his discomfort. He set down his pencil awkwardly with his left hand, after trying, unsuccessfully, to write with the apparently incompetent extremity. He didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to participate in gym, as he had seen earlier today that the boys were playing soccer.

"Oh," she said resignedly. "Well, either way, I've never seen you before. I'm Olivia, by the way."

He just stared at her blankly, waiting for her to go away.

"Umm… do you mind if I sit down?" she asked, twisting a strand of her brown curls with a finger. He was hot, she thought, and this was the first time he'd been in their eighth period study hall. She and her friends were admiring him from afar, and she'd been dared to talk with him. It wasn't something she hadn't done before – she was a junior – but this seemed like the biggest challenge she ever faced. He looked like the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome type, but up close she realized he was more like the intimidating, closed-off, and foreboding type.

He shrugged, not really caring either way. She smiled and took that as a good sign.

They sat silently for a minute while he still quarreled with his useless left hand, contemplating about taking off the splint and writing with his right despite the doctor's orders. She watched his struggle and saw it as an opportunity to pounce. "Can I help you with your homework?" She leaned in closer to peek at what he was subject he was on and then held in a gasp. Advanced Geometry. She was only in regular Geometry. And what he was doing looked far more complex than anything she had ever dared to comprehend.

He closed his book and sighed. "I'll do it at home." He went to put the textbook away in his backpack when she quickly placed her hand on his, holding it back. He shot her a look that wasn't amused. That was a blow on her confidence.

"Sorry," she mumbled. She released his hand to let him proceed and flipped her hair back impatiently. It was like he couldn't tell she was flirting with him. She glanced over her shoulder at her friends, who were smiling and giggling, encouraging her to go on. "So… you look like an athlete," she tried in a seductive tone. "Did you get hurt in soccer? Basketball?"

"I don't play sports." He was getting annoyed with her rambling. Sure, she may have been pretty, but to him she was one of those squawking, over-clingy, easily-frightened teenage girls that were too obsessed with boys. Some guys fall for that kind of girl, but he didn't.

"Aw, then what happened?" She leaned in again, cuddling up to his right side.

He tried to move back, as much as he could without making it too obvious. "Accident on the farm. A horse got a little out of control."

"So you're outdoorsy? How nice." She smiled, but his bored expression remained in place. _Why can't he take a hit? _She wondered.

"But I've never seen you here before? Did you transfer? Or did your family move here over the summer?" There had to be some information she could pump from him.

"I'm a freshman," he said curtly, putting an end to her flirting. She wasn't even the slightest bit interesting to him. He grabbed his backpack and rose.

"You're a _freshman!_" she shouted angrily.

"Quiet!" ordered the study hall proctor.

Fang smirked smugly. "Guilty," he said. He backed out of the swarm of chair surrounding him. "See ya." He walked toward the small media center in the room, which had several rows of books, periodicals, magazines, and encyclopedias for students' use. It wasn't as big as their main library, but it was good enough for him to make his escape. He stopped in the farthest corner, away from everyone's line of sight, and took in a deep breath. Study hall was boring anyway; he had to leave.

Concentrating for a moment, he felt himself blend into his surroundings, becoming invisible to everything. He could still see himself, but the air around his skin was shimmering, like how objects seemed to erode on a hot day. No one noticed him as he slipped out the open door and into the hallway. They probably wouldn't have noticed him being gone, except for maybe Olivia, but he didn't particularly care at that point.

The halls were empty, and thanks to his naturally silent footsteps, he wasn't detected by any students or teachers in their classrooms. He wasn't sure where he wanted to go, but he knew that anywhere was better than study hall. He considered stopping by the gym to visit Max, but the doors would locked and he didn't have many options for getting in without drawing attention to himself.

He took the steps leading up to the second floor. Rounding a corner, he passed down a line of rooms that all seemed to be empty. The doors were locked, with the exception of one on the far end that was cracked open slightly. He approached it and peeked in the small rectangular window on the left hand side. The lights were off, but sunrays poured in from the windows on the opposite wall. The beam revealed a tall, lean figure was standing in the corner, apparently doing nothing at all. It wasn't facing in Fang's direction. Being highly curious about the mystery person, he wanted to check it out.

He pushed the door open just wide enough for him to get through. It didn't make a noise, which he was grateful for. As he slowly approached the figure in the corner, he heard voices coming from where it was standing. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He tiptoed toward the figure, taking even breaths. Suddenly the head of the mystery person whipped around and stared in his general direction. Fang held sucked in a breath in recognition.

The boy had red hair, light blue eyes, and pale skin. He knew that was Max's friend James, the one who set off the stink bomb. _What was he doing in an empty classroom?_ Fang wondered in confusion. James looked just as confused as Fang felt, looking around and seeing nothing. Fang sighed silently, glad that James couldn't see invisible people.

James looked away from Fang's general area back to where he was focused on before. The dark haired boy had no idea what the other was doing, but crept in closer to see for himself. The noises Fang had heard before picked up again, and he had no idea where they were coming from. As he listened, he realized they were voices. He closed his eyes to zone into what they were saying.

"…_I still can't believe you let him go. How did that happen?"_

"_But it wasn't our fault—"_

"_Of course it wasn't. I just want you to know that the only reason we're here is for him. You know what would happen if the Director finds out that we couldn't catch a _boy! _Our heads would be bitten off. He has a purpose, and it's imperative that we bring him back so he can fulfill it!"_

Fang had heard enough. His heart was beating at an alarming rate, and he was glad that James didn't know he was there. Then again, he thought of how much fun it would be to scare him. To rag on Max that her boyfriend was skipping class to spy on a conversation… wherever it was coming from. Then again, he was skipping class too, even if it was study hall. He weighed both options, shrugged, and then let down his invisibility shield.

"What are you doing?" he asked James with an amused tone.

James spun around and clutched his chest like he was about to have a heart attack. His eyes flared open in shock and terror, the voice cutting through the silent space like a razor. The guy standing there, who he remembered was named Fang, stood smirking. His appearance reminded him like that of a wraith, coming out of no where and then sneaking up on unsuspecting prey. Everything from his expression to his wardrobe added to the affect.

"Dude, what the hell! Do you _want _to kill me? Jeez, give a guy some warning."

Fang rolled his eyes and said nothing.

"Wait… aren't you, like, Max's foster brother or something?"

"What's it to you?" he asked.

James smirked. "I'll take that as a yes. What are you doing here?"

Fang shot him a look that said, "I should be asking you the same thing." The redhead's face flushed slightly. "Um, well, I was here because Max asked a favor of me," he said timidly. He wasn't sure why he was intimidated by the dark boy, but something about him was dangerous. Like if you got too close you wouldn't live to tell about what happened. The feeling was unsettling, yet he never saw Max feel uncomfortable around him.

"And that would be…?" Fang couldn't keep the curiosity out of his voice. What would Max ask James to do that he couldn't do himself?

He sighed and looked away with an unsure expression. Would Max tell him when he got home? There was no way to be sure, but he figured it was something that she would probably tell Fang anyway. "She wanted me to spy on those guards, to see what they are talking about. Find out why they're here."

Fang kept his features composed, but he had an idea why she wanted to find out. She was adamant about wanting the guards gone, mostly for his sake. He didn't understand her need to protect him but he was sort of flattered.

"And I found out that their office was on the third level," James whispered. "There's a vent that connects their room to this one, and when it's completely silent you can hear what goes on from either side."

"So, she _is_ your girlfriend," he mused. He couldn't explain why his joke had left a pang in his heart.

The redhead scowled. "She isn't. We're just friends. Besides, I wouldn't even try to make an advance after I saw the way you look at her. It's obvious you like her, and it's worse that you _live _with her. If anyone tried to ask her out you'd probably throw it in their face of what you get to see that they don't."

With each word, Fang's expression grew harder and harder. He didn't like being called out like that, especially by someone he barely knew. Even if James had no idea what went on in the Martinez home. He was going to retort when he heard a noise in the distance. It sounded like the tapping of feet.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, tensing up a bit.

"No," James replied. "What are you—" His response was cut off. Fang watched him with furrowed brows as the redhead's eyes widened and his face became very young and scared. "Not again," he mouthed silently.

"What?" Fang grabbed his shoulders and shook him lightly. "What is it?" James's eyes were glazed over, not focusing on anything in particular. It took Fang a couple seconds to realize what was going on. "Is someone coming?" he asked quietly, his heart picking up again.

James nodded. Fang closed his eyes and focused on the sound, footsteps, that were coming closer. He knew what Max had said about James's power when they were at Dr. Martinez's practice. Right now he had lost his vision, but he could 'see' someone through the walls. And Fang was hearing whoever was coming, too.

"Be quiet," Fang ordered. "And stay calm. As long as you do that we won't be caught." The redhead nodded, and Fang sighed. He had never tried this before, but now was as good a time as any. He tightened his grip on James's shoulder and took a deep breath. Channeling his power, he felt a surge of energy pass through him into James, and the air around both of them shimmered. Feeling that sensation, and his sight coming back, James gasped silently and gaped at the dark-haired boy.

Right then the door opened at a teasingly casual rate. In popped a round, bald head, followed by an over-muscled body. The guard examined the room carefully, taking slow, cautious steps. Both boys held their breaths, waiting for an opportunity to run toward the door. Fang nudged James in the side and they took a step several inches to their left, eyeing the guard wearily.

The man pressed his headset and said in a low, even voice, "No one is in here; the voices could have been from the first level." There was a pause as he listened. "No, I left them in the office." The teens were taking in every word, using the guard's distraction to advance closer to the guard and their exit. So far he hadn't detected them. "I'll wait." He clicked off the headset.

That was there opportunity. While the guard went back to searching, they rushed out of the room undetected, remaining in contact the whole time. They headed toward the back steps – the set hardly used by students – and paused at the first floor landing. Making sure no one was around, Fang let the invisibility shield down with a release of breath as he slumped against the wall. Spreading his power between two people had really drained him.

"Dude, that was awesome!" James cheered. "Where'd you learn to do that? We just made it out. That was—" He stopped when he noticed Fang leaning against the wall, looking extremely pale. "Hey, are you okay?" He leaned down to make sure.

Fang pursed his lips and nodded, straightening up. He wasn't going to show weakness to James, even if he had let his guard down in showing Fang that he was frightened. Then again, losing your sight would have to be pretty traumatic.

"When did you start noticing you could become invisible?" James asked, not at all perturbed that there was more than one student in the school with unique powers. Fang questioned his sanity.

He shrugged. "When did you notice you had your powers?"

"Uh… around the beginning of school, when I was hanging out with Max."

Fang crossed his arms over his chest and thought. Max. That was when he noticed his powers too, when he was with Max… It hit him. "Max. The powers. They're connected."

"What?"

He looked up at the redhead. "Both our powers started when we met Max. Maybe she's the trigger. And she did tell me once that everything is conencted. Maybe if she caused us to have powers, she could have some of her own she doesn't know about." Besides the Voice, but he didn't count that as a power. "And somebody knows that we have these abilities." Or at least that he did.

"The guards?" James wondered, suddenly understanding what they were talking about all of eighth period.

Fang nodded. "Well, they know I have them anyway."

"So they were talking about you?" The dark-haired boy nodded again with solemnity. "Interesting… wait, I have an idea. We should look out for each other."

Now it was Fang's turn to question him. "What?"

"Think about it. If they know that you have a power, soon they'll learn about me. Then they'll have two targets, but if we team up and watch each other's backs, it will be harder for them to catch us."

"Or they'll catch us both at the same time," the dark one mused.

"So are you in? We freaks gotta watch out for each other."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll do it." He mostly made the promise for his own sake – the guards were only interested in one of them.

* * *

**I'm starting to get unoriginal. Ugh. I hate this. Totally sorry if this chapter sucked but I wanted a way for Fang and Iggy to be friends, or as I put it "comrads", as opposed to everyone thinking that 'Fang will get jealous'. I had the idea before I read those reviews, so when I saw them I totally started laughing at how ironic it was. Writer's block is still my number one enemy, and I seriously don't have any ideas for the next chapter.**

**Mo, when I look at the stories that have like twice as many reviews as this one does, I can't help but feel a little jealous. I usually don't read those stories, but I'm starting to think I should to see what makes them special. Why everyone keeps reading and reviewing. But thanks for the compliment anyway. :) Thanks to everyone for reviewing. It got me excited to see everyone so happy that I posted a new chapter. :P **

**REMINDERS: I'm at 198!! #200 gets cookies and ice cream!!! :D Check out the poll on my profile if you haven't, and also check out "Ghost of Me".**

**Please Review!!**


	27. Research and Confusion

**Chapter 26 – Research and Confusion**

There was a perceivable difference in the air now that November had rolled by. Excitement of Thanksgiving, turkeys, football games, and a few days off of school was the buzz throughout the town. I had to admit it was ready for a few good days away from Nimitz High; it was about time I got to kick back and relax. I'd been busy planning courses of strategy with James when it came to our spying routine.

In the few weeks we'd spent on the operation, we'd learned that Mr. Reinhard was told by Mr. Darnell that bringing in guards would make our school more focused on their studies as opposed to messing around and pulling pranks (I'd picked up that information thanks to my uncanny friendship with Mrs. Andrews, the principal's receptionist that I worked with through my "punishment"). James had learned that the guards were here to catch someone, although he'd never found out who that was. I had my own suspicion, but I wasn't going to tell him anything; I wasn't even sure he knew about Fang's powers **(A/N Fang didn't tell Max about his pact with James)**. And the last thing I was trying to figure out was if Mr. Reinhard knew anything about their true intentions.

However, in the upcoming weeks to Thanksgiving, I had a more pressing issue to deal with than spying or farm work or anything else you could think of. In biology, we had a huge paper due right before the break, and our teacher was checking to make sure students didn't wait until the day before it was due to get started. I still had a couple weeks, but since Fang told me he was starting his I suggested working together in doing research. Yeah, I know what everyone's wondering: _when did Max become such a nerd? _In reality, I just wanted to make it easy on myself since he was pretty smart.

Our paper was on the adaptations of animal anatomy: their design and how it is suitable for their lifestyle, the functions of special organs and body parts, diet, etc. The teacher gave us a bunch of ways to write out paper, so what seemed like would be a killer essay would in reality be a two-page rambler.

Fang and I, being like-minded in a lot of ways, chose to write our paper on the same thing: birds. What would be a more obvious animal to do than that? I mean, they had _wings_. I'm sure some of you expected me to do a horse or something, but a bird was gonna be a lot easier. They were made just for, like, other teens across the globe who had to right a paper on adapted animals. And the good thing was that the teacher would never be able to accuse us of cheating – which we _weren't_, we were just getting info together – because we weren't in the same period and his paper would probably be better than mine.

He pulled out a college-level textbook from the bookshelf in our living room and looked through it. We were sitting lazily on the floor, books and papers piled around us as we researched for the paper. "Your mom doesn't have anything easier than this, does she?" he asked, scowling at the book on his lap. "I can't understand any of this."

I shot him a cross look. "I doubt it. She has a degree in this stuff. Why don't we just ask her about birds and she can give us everything we need to know."

"We need to make a bibliography page," he said for the nth-time. "As in, we need sources to document where we got our information from. Getting your mom's signature doesn't count as a source, however reliable it may be."

I stuck my tongue out at him. He always had to be such a smart-aleck. "And we aren't looking this up on the internet because…?"

He rolled his eyes. "Wikipedia doesn't count as a reliable source, either."

"Whatever. If we don't find anything good here we can just go to the library tomorrow. I'm sure there are good, easy, _children's_ books out there that we can understand. Although they might not let us take them out so we'll need to take notes."

"Uh-huh," he said mumbled, perusing more titles along the shelf. I sighed and looked at my notes. All I had written was the word 'birds' at the top of my lined paper. There wasn't much on our level here.

He pulled out some wire-bound notebook and inspected it quizzically. "Huh," he mused, flipping through the pages. He held it up and looked at me. "Have you seen this before?"

I scooted closer to him and looked over his shoulder. The notebook was full of writing and drawings, graphs and figures. It seemed old – the lead faded and rubbing off on other pages – but it was still eligible. I scanned some pages and picked out the main words. _Genetics. Recombinant. Grafting. DNA. _Was this one of my mom's old workbooks? I knew she worked of a genetics lab, but this look like nothing she or Jeb had ever mentioned they did. There were charts of different animals, lists of characteristics, and other notes I didn't understand. This science jargon was like Spanish to me – I understood it once in a blue moon, but most of the time I was out in the dark.

He flipped the book shut and we saw a name on the cover that appeared to sponsor the notebook – Itex. We looked at each other. "Does that name sound familiar?" I asked him. I wasn't sure why I recognized the name.

He pursed his lips and then shook his head slowly. "I feel like I should know it, but I can't remember. What exactly did your mom do in…?" He turned the cover over to see the inside. "1992?"

"She worked in a genetics lab," I said. "She used to do research on humans but after she had me she went back to school for veterinary medicine. She must have kept them from her old job."

"Interesting…"

"What exactly did your parents do?" I asked him. In the time he'd spent here, he had never talked about what his life was like before. I really didn't know anything about him except for his interests and character traits. And, to be honest, none of us had ever brought up his past. So he never mentioned it.

He closed the notebook – with his splint-free hand – and placed it on top of his school books. "My adoptive mom was a pediatric doctor," he said like it was an afterthought. "She wasn't married to anyone so it was just the two of us."

"And your biological parents?" I pumped. "Or do you not know anything about them?"

His face was impassive, but I could see his eyes harden for a second in pain. "I never knew them," he said quietly. "My adopted mom didn't share anything about them with me."

I remember Mom saying that his adopted mom died. I felt horrible for him because I grew up knowing what it was like to live without a father, so having no parents must have sucked big time. While I felt sympathy, I was also curious to know more about Fang. He was a mystery – no one knew about him. I wasn't sure what questions he would be okay with or what would be crossing the line.

"How did she die?" I wondered, trying to lace my voice with condolence.

He didn't say anything, looking at everything except me. I leaned closer. "You know you can trust me, right?" I added. If I could trust him, he should be able to trust me. Right?

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, sighing in exasperation. "I don't really want to talk about it," he said with an edge of steel. He rose to his feet and picked up his books, including the notebook. "Do you think your mom would mind if I looked through her notes? I want to do some research on that company."

I looked up with surprise and a little bit of hurt, but I shook my head. "No, I don't think she'd mind."

He nodded and headed toward his room. When he left, I slumped on the floor, letting my arms sprawl out over my head. I guess I asked the wrong question. Jeez, I'm just _so_ smooth. Way to go, Max!

Mom walked in and looked at me lying on the floor with a raised eyebrow. I sighed and forced myself into a sitting position. "What's up?" she asked instantly, always knowing what I was feeling.

I thought moment how I wanted to word my response for a moment. "Mom, Fang has been living with us for two months now. Do you think it's weird that he hasn't opened up to us yet?"

Her tender brown eyes widened a bit in acknowledgement. "Oh, did you ask him something that upset him?"

I shrugged. "He wasn't really upset, but he didn'twant to talk about it. Is it wrong that we don't know anything about him, except for what Jeb told us?"

She breathed in deeply. "Max, don't push him. He'll tell us when he's ready. Besides, you heard from Jeb that his life wasn't really the best. His mom died, then ge bounced from home to home to another for a while. He lived in foster care. We have no idea how difficult it must be to be a _child_ and have no real home. It isn't something we should force on him."

"I know," I said. I wasn't going to tell her of everything else I'd told him, or about the secrets we were keeping of his power and the Voice. Some things we could only keep between us, and yet I thought his past was something he could share with me.

Mom hugged me, making me feel a million times better.

"I'm starting dinner," she announced. "Do you want to help me?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm sitting out this time." I held up my biology book. "I have some research to do."

She laughed and walked to the kitchen. I gathered my belongings and, with a sigh, trudged upstairs to my room. I wasn't actually going to do homework – I have a strict no-homework-on-Friday-nights policy – so I plopped on my bed and felt myself sink into the comfortable mattress. I couldn't explain why it hurt not to have Fang trust me. I kept his secret. Yet my heart constricted uncomfortably at the thought of him not wanting to tell me about his past.

_Give him time, Max,_ the Voice intoned. Oh great, just what I wanted. _He isn't used to trusting people. Patience is a virtue, and if you give him some time he'll tell you._

_Thanks a lot, _I muttered sarcastically.

_Tell me this. Why are you upset that he doesn't trust you?_

I groaned. _Can't you read my thoughts? Isn't it obvious? I'm a freakin' teenage girl with a _voice _in her head, and not one that is suicidal or tells her to do bad things. So I'm obviously more insane than the average insane person, and on top of that I told him about you when I _hardly know him. _Why do _you _think I'm upset?_

I swore I heard the Voice chuckle, it was hard to tell. _I think there is a reason that you're not admitting to._

_Oh yeah? What would that be, oh Great Voice?_

It didn't respond, causing me to groan again. It left all the possibilities open. What other reason would I have for being hurt? Something that I wasn't admitting to. _Think Max…_ My mind wandered to the conversation I'd had with Angel a few weeks ago, when she thought I liked Fang. When I denied it, she thought I was lying. She said that Fang liked me…

Did the Voice think I liked Fang?

Okay, that's just crazy. Why did everyone think that? He was my _foster brother. _Everything about that would be wrong. Ugh, I hate all this emotion stuff. I'm good at expressing anger and frustration, but anything about relationships or lovey-dovey feelings? No. Just no. That wasn't me. I hated that everyone assumed that I liked him.

But the question that racked my mind for the rest of the night was something that, the more I thought of it, made my stomach flutter with the possibilities, and also wreaked havoc of confusion and disbelief. I'd never felt that way, _ever. _I didn't even understand where it had come from. I didn't understand the doubt and uncertainty, the constant wondering if it was true. But every time I saw him, the question kept popping up.

_Does Fang like me?_

**

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**Sorry for Max's somewhat OOC-ness. Wrote this all today with only a general idea of what I wanted to have happen. So, yeah, that's it on that part.**

**Congrats to Chickeerafish for being the 200th reviewer!!!! Keep Fang in the basement and have a cookie and ice cream party on behalf of me! :D :D :D Kina, I have to keep reminding myself that there are stories out there that have no reviews at all, or hardly any. You don't have a bad ratio yourself. But still, I always feel bad when I see the 900 review stories out there. But that's just me. I have this weird quirk that I hate to be upstaged, but then again I know I'm not the best at everything. It's something I have to adjust to. YourMoosyFate, that'll come in later in the story. I wish I could say more, but I can't. Again, thanks for the suggestion Mo! I'd love a shoutout in your next chapter! :)**

**Reminders: I've updated my profile to include a section about my stories, which includes summaries of the latest chapters, previews of the next chapters, and also information about the stories themselves. As well as ideas that are floating around in my head. It'll be a very useful tool if you want to know more about my stories. Be sure to check it out because I'll update it frequently!! Um, yeah, check out Ghost of Me, the poll, and review. That's all I got today.**

**Review please!!!**


	28. Sexist

**Chapter 27 - Sexist**

"What are you looking at?"

Fang turned in his swivel-chair slowly, facing it in my direction. He didn't look too amused by my antics of ambush, much less surprised. I really needed to work on my sneaking-up-on-people skills.

It had been a few days since I'd asked him about his past; when he walked out on me so he wouldn't have to answer my questions. We hadn't talked about that incident since. Time had also passed since I had my embarrassing, gushy, self-reflecting thoughts about Fang. I still felt a little awkward around him, but he didn't seem to notice.

He whirled back to the computer screen in front of him. "I was doing research on Itex," he said quietly. I peered over his shoulder at the large screen while he scanned the computer lab anxiously to make sure no one was eavesdropping. He was on Google, the word 'Itex' in the search box. Under the results, I saw everything from a Real Estate Agency to a Financial Business to someone misspelling 'Itech', which was a hockey equipment manufacturer. Nothing dealt with genetics, medicine, or hospital-like companies at all.

"And you can't do this at home why?"

He looked at me like I'd just asked why he doesn't wear bright clothing. "One, it might keep a history of my searches, and I don't want your mom checking what I'm doing. And two, Ella always hogs the computer. I can only get on in school."

Well, he did have a point there.

I don't think I ever mentioned this, but upstairs there was a small foyer out in the hallway, the only spot in the house we had enough room to fit a computer so it wouldn't be solely for one person. Mom put it there so we wouldn't be doing anything we shouldn't and for checking up on us easily, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure everyone's thinking, _doesn't she trust you guys? _Well, she does, and I'm smart enough not to be looking at anything I shouldn't at home anyway, so it doesn't bother me. The only one who really cares about the whole privacy issue is Ella, so you can only guess what she's up to.

I curled a strand of my hair behind my ear, watching as Fang hopelessly typed away on the keyboard. Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention that his injuries healed pretty shortly after he received them. When we took him to the doctors to have them remove his stitches, they were surprised to see the cuts appeared to have healed a lot sooner than they expected. They also took an x-ray of his hand and found it completely fine, too. Like I always say, who needs doctors? They never get anything right. Sorry Mom, I hope you don't read this!

Jeb, on the other hand, I hope you do read this.

At the bottom of the screen, I saw a second browser that had been minimized. I tapped the glass where it was located and read the name: LiveJournal. "What's that?" I asked mischievously. I'm not stupid; I know what LiveJournal is. But seeing _Fang_ using it, or reading it for that matter, was pretty dang hilarious.

He glowered at me. "Max," he sighed. "I'm really curious about Itex. Your mom worked there, Jeb probably worked there, and it sounds familiar to both of us but we don't know why. There are bound to be answers out there, and from the looks of it all traces of evidence have been wiped off of the Internet. If I write a blog about my search, send it around to the right websites, I might be able to find _someone _who knows _something_. If this company is as low-key as it seems to be, it makes me wonder if they did something that led them to that point. That made them shut down and inaccessible."

It took me a moment to digest this – I mean, I'd been living with Fang for a little over two months and I don't think I'd ever heard him make a speech that long. "What do you mean?"

"If a company violates any regulations they can be shut down. If someone did something crazy enough, the government could have gotten rid of any evidence that they ever existed. But obviously you can't erase people's memories. I need the right people to see my search." His eyes scrunched for a second then turned back to me. "What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you have class?"

I shook my head and grinned. "Teacher's out sick, so the sub gave us a study hall. Besides, I'm meeting with someone."

"Who—?" he began, but was cut off.

"Yo, Max, there you are!" We both turned to see James walking down the aisle of computers, coming toward us. _Lovely timing_, I thought.

"You invited your boyfriend?" Fang inquired with some amusement.

I scowled at him. "No, he's not my boyfriend."

"Denial's the first step, Max." As he said this, I saw his eyes tighten slightly. "Please, don't let me hold you back; I don't want to be a third wheel," he added, with what sounded like bitter sarcasm. It was hard to tell with Fang.

"_Fang_—"

"What's up?" James asked as he took a seat next to us. Fang oh so subtly turned his attention back to the computer, his shoulders tensed. I rolled my eyes, not really wanting to deal with Fang's attitude, and turned to James.

"Not much, I wanted to do research on my biology project. But now that you're here we can talk about our next tactic in…" I dropped my voice to make sure no one overheard. "Spying."

He nodded. "Yeah, nothing new has really surfaced in a while. We need to change our game plan."

Fang sighed. "If you want me to leave, I can. I'm technically not involved in your scheme."

"You should be," James said thoughtfully. "Actually, with your power you could be our best spy."

My eyes widened to the size of golf balls. "James, how did you know about Fang?" I asked, keeping my voice cautiously low to keep from screaming. Was there something they weren't telling me?

Fang looked darkly at James. "Nice going. You didn't tell her?"

James backed up a bit. "I thought _you_ told her. You live with her, after all."

"When did you find out?" I asked quickly, breaking them up before their quibble could get any more trivial.

"I dunno, a few weeks?" James guessed. Fang nodded. I hung my head low. Great, these guys were keeping secrets behind my back. What else did they do? Did they have an underground hideout I don't know about? Maybe they knew of other freaks besides the three of us. Was there some secret club that I was unaware of?

"Max, relax," Fang said calmly. "It was an accident. I found him working _for you." _He always had to be annoying by bringing that up. "And someone came, so I had to make us invisible."

Oh, well when he put it that way.

Wait a second…

"You said 'made _us_ invisible', as in, the both of you?" It took all my self-control to keep my voice level and in a whisper. "Are you getting more powerful?"

He shrugged, trying not to look too proud.

"Have anything you want to fess up to?" I asked James warily.

"Well, I can control my 'site' better." He used air quotes around the word "site". "It doesn't sneak up on me as often as it used to, and I can use it at will."

Jeez. I suddenly realized how bad both of their powers could be if they were used for evil. "You two aren't teaming up to spy on the girl's locker room, are you?" I put a warning in my voice that said _if you are I will gleefully kick your butt for being sexist pigs. _I wouldn't put it past James to be doing that, but Fang? I wasn't sure.

"Of course we aren't!" James sounded appalled, but then he grinned evilly. I did _not _want to know what he was planning. I hope I didn't give him any ideas…

The bell rang loudly, echoing off the ancient walls. I grabbed my book bag, muttered my goodbyes to the boys, and got the hell out of there. It was pretty ironic how my only two friends were also the most annoying people I knew.

* * *

I was literally shaking in my seat when the school day ended, anxious to get out of the place. I was still wound up about Fang and James sharing things behind my back, and I knew the only real way to calm down would be taking a nice, relaxing ride on Gale. There's something special about animals that make them able to listen to every problem you ever have, never respond, and yet they somehow always make you feel better.

The general routine for letting students out at Nimitz High basically was anarchy— students roam the front yard freely while waiting for their parents, buses, or whatever else shows up to take them home. There are usually cliques grouped together laughing, jocks rough-housing, and the occasional jokester trying to hoist geeks' underwear up the flagpole. Luckily this was one event that the guards had stayed away from, so at least students had some excitement to look forward to. All in all, it was a pretty chaotic time of the day, but as long as you knew who to avoid and where to wait, it was the normal lame-fest you'd expect it to be.

An announcement came over the intercom— which for the record, I hardly was able to hear since the sound system was obsolete— came across the schoolyard that my bus was running late. By now most of the other students had dispersed so the only stragglers were the few kids on my bus and the lamoid seniors that were goofing off before they drove home.

I sat leaned back against the brick edifice they called our school, looking out at the road for any oncoming vehicles, which of course there wouldn't be for a while. I never understood why we just couldn't walk home —

"Hey, babe, what's going on?" I turned to my right to see a muscled jock in a leather sport jacket leaning his weight on his arm against he wall. A dopey, arrogant half-smile was playing on his lips.

It took me a second to realize he was talking to me. "Um, can we say sexist?" I said, walking toward the main entrance. Ugh, if there was one thing I hated more than anything else in the world, it was guys who called women 'babes', 'chicks', or my least favorite of all: 'my girl'. I didn't understand how we, as females, could accept that. It was derogatory and demeaning.

He reached out and wrapped his large hand around my wrist. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a little humor. "There haven't been too many girls like you around."

"I'm sure you use that a lot," I snapped. "Is that the only line you know?"

"Aren't you feisty?" He tried pulling me in when I snapped my hand from his grasp. I turned the other direction when I was stopped by another loser-jock. He looked down and smiled.

"She's hot," the second one said without shame. "Must be a freshman."

"Ugh, two sexist pigs."

They laughed. "Relax, we just want to talk." They closed in and I sighed. Well, they asked for it.

I almost felt sorry for what I was going to do. Almost.

* * *

**I got some cool news - in August I'm gonna be going to see Wicked the Musical in New York City!! :D I haven't picked a date yet, but I'm excited cause I love that musical. I also just scheduled a date for my driver's test, so hopefully I get it first try. **

**But I was disappointed to see there were only 5 reviews for the last chapter. :o I was pleased to see that some were new reviewers, but I'm wondering where everyone else is. Vacation? Did the last chapter suck? I have no idea, but any feedback is better than none. I really thrive off of response from other people, so that's what keeps the story going. So thank you to all the new reader/reviewers such as VenomShadowCatt and smartipanz816! Dt, I totally know what you mean about the raging hormones. I'm like Max, in a sense, when I say I really hate the gushy emotion stuff. And again, thanks Mo for the shoutout!! Btw, I told you Vampire Kisses was good. :P haha **

**There's a new poll up, so do that if you haven't. Then the usual: Ghost of Me, new profile page, review, tell people about my story. Um, did I mention review??**

**Review please!!**


	29. Expect the Unexpected

**Chapter 28 - Expect the Unexpected**

They sauntered forward with a dark gleam in their eyes. Okaaaaay, that wasn't eerie at all. Who knew the jocks here were such creepers. Now even closer, I could feel their body heat radiating in the small space between us. They were about to turn me into a Max sandwich.

_So this is the game they wanted to play? _I thought to myself, raising an eyebrow. Fine. They had no idea who they were messing with. I was Max Ride, and no guy _ever_ uses me.

"You asked for it," I muttered under my breath, and I was about to snap my hand out to pop the closest jock in the nose when—

"Yo, Max." I paused with my hand halfway extended, the three of us turning toward the sound of the voice with dumbfounded expressions. I had to admit I was shocked but a little peeved at him for getting involved.

Fang strode silently toward us, appearing literally out of nowhere. The jocks jumped a bit at the sound of his voice, which had a sinister edge to it, and seeing him now made them tense up even more. His face was expressionless, but I noted he had the same tight lines around his eyes as he had earlier today, the slight twitch to his jaw when he was angry. He appeared like a dark ghost come to life, and I had to admit it was pretty hilarious at first to see the idiots freaking out at the sight of a skinny kid like Fang. Then again, if I didn't know Fang, I would have been terrified, too.

"Dude, what's a Goth doing here?" one jock wondered, causing both Fang and me to roll our eyes.

Fang was next to us now. He slipped in between the older guys, shouldering them out of the way so he could get close to me. It was a little too close for my immediate comfort since I was reared up. His left side brushed up against me as he wrapped an arm around my waist. I let out a little gasp, wondering what the hell he was doing, when he murmured in my ear, "Play along." I squelched my immediate desire to throw Fang off of me, punch the jocks, and run away, deciding I was going to let this little display slide for now. He would pay for this when we got home. I plastered a fake smile on my face as Fang announced, "What? Can't I see my girlfriend?"

The jocks raised their eyebrows in disbelief. "Isn't that sweet?" one of them scoffed with feigned affection.

"Yeah, the hot girl goes for an Emo, probably trying to keep him from cutting himself again," they laughed as they noticed the cuts on Fang's arm, which were now thin pink scars. To those who didn't know, which was everyone except me, they would have assumed them to be knife marks, too. I still wasn't entirely convinced about the wolf-hybrid story, but then again he believed me when I told him I had a voice in my head. That's about as crazy as a person can get.

Fang tensed up, his arm clutching my side in an uncomfortable way — as in, his grasp was getting tighter. I knew it took a lot of effort from him to stay calm. "We need to catch our bus," he said in a carefully composed tone, one that sent a shiver through my back. He nodded toward the street where, lo and behold, a yellow bus rumbled unsteadily to a stop.

"Yeah, boys," I added in an obnoxiously sweet, sarcastic voice. "Gee, it's been real fun."

Fang and I were going to make our escape when two bulky arms blocked us. I stifled a groan. These guys could not take a hint that we were _saving their sorry asses from a beating._ But of course, I was still twitchy from not releasing my frustration earlier. Maybe I'll get a few punches in before we leave after all.

"You don't really think we'd fall for that, did you?" the one closest to me asked. I glared at him but kept a level expression.

"What are you talking about?" I challenged. "Did you think he was lying? Fa— Marco's my boyfriend." I couldn't believe I almost slipped! The only people who knew Fang's nickname were me, my family, and James. It was unnatural calling him by his real name.

Fang shot me a terse look which I interpreted saying, "Way to go, Ace!" Really, you had to read between the lines.

"Fmarco?" The jocks busted out laughing.

I sighed, getting real impatient with them. "C'mon," Fang murmured, releasing my side to grab my hand. I looked out and saw that all the students had boarded the bus. The sliding door was about to close, so we had no time to get over there unless someone had been kind enough to tell the driver to wait. Which of course, probably wasn't the case. He tugged my hand toward the street. We _were_ going for the bus when a hand clutched my jacket and pulled me backwards, breaking my link with Fang.

"I don't think so. Why don't you run along and we'll drive your girlfriend home, show her what a real men are like."I was pulled into the chest of one jock, my back against his abs. My eyes widened as his hands snaked around me.

Okay, I may have a high level of self control, even when Fang touched me in a way that wasn't brotherly, but you see I had a _tiny_ flaw when it was someone who wasn't particularly on my good side that was touching me in that same fashion. It also didn't help that these jerks were restraining me.

So you figured that I snapped.

So fast, that no one saw it coming, I bent my elbow at an angle and rammed it into Jock 1's chest. Pain shot up my elbow, similar to the sensation of hitting your funny bone, but I didn't let it hinder me. He had the wind knocked out of him as he let go, gagging from the impact.

Their last comment also sent rage blazing through Fang, too, but unlike me he was a lot calmer about it. He retreats into this silent, lethal state that would send the _smartest_ person running for their lives. Of course I didn't consider these particular jocks as smart. I didn't feel too bad for them. I mean, they called Fang out for not being a _man, _when it was obvious they didn't know the first thing about treating girls.

Fang, also moving at blinding speed, decked the other jock with a blow to the face. Jock 2 fell to the floor, clutching his face and writhing around, moaning like an idiot. I hope Fang hadn't broken the kid's jaw; if they tattled we were going to be in tons of trouble.

I was going to join Fang in sprinting for the bus, when his eyes flashed to something behind me. I spun around to see Jock 1 directly over me, about to pounce. I didn't have time to react, or do anything to protect myself. My body involuntarily tensed for impact. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fang charging toward us.

But of course, since this was my life we were talking about, the unexpected happened.

Jock 1 passed _right through me._

Holy. Freaking. God.

My eyes were as wide as Texas, and even Fang nearly tripped over his feet in surprise. I was so stunned I couldn't move; I just stared at my hands in disbelief. How did he go _through _me? And Jock 1 was as dumbstruck as I felt as as he looked at me with his mouth hitting the floor.

But of course, out of everyone here, Fang was the only one who had recovered enough to react. He bent low and swiped his leg behind Jock 1's knees, causing him to fly backwards in a Japanese-karate-flick fashion. He hit the floor, not looking like he'd get up any time soon. Jeez, I had no idea Fang was that strong. And even myself, for that matter. I worked on a farm my whole life, thrown the occasional punch in Middle School, but I'd never done damage like that before. Was this a new development too?

Fang wrapped his arm around my shoulders and ushered me quickly away from the jocks. "You okay?" he asked in a low, tense voice. His adrenaline was still high, and he scanned the area around us anxiously to make sure no one watched.

It took me a moment to find my voice. "Yeah, I'm good. What the hell happened?"

He shrugged. "New power? I don't know. He went right through you like you were a hologram or something."

That was the only logical answer either of us could think of, and of course the Voice didn't chime in to suggest any other option. "You know you're dead for that scene earlier."

He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"And Fang?"

"Yeah?"

"Get your hand off my shoulder."

That was the only warning he needed; he knew me by now. His arm dropped immediately.

When we looked up, about to rush to the street, we both groaned in exasperation. Or at least, I did, but I totally imagined Fang groaning just then. It was our mental connection. Either way, we were both bummed, and I bit my lip to keep from yelling. I even wished Fang's arm was still around my shoulder in case I went back to pummel the jocks while they were defenseless and needed to be restrained. It was their fault, anyway.

The bus had left.

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**Okay, seriously, you guys are the most awesomest (yes, that's a word in my mind) reviewers I've ever had!!! 23 reviews last chapter?!?!? That's breaks previous records by a lot!! I'm sorry I couldn't get this out sooner. I was working on my essay for Defining Twilight, and then I wanted to work on Ghost of me. Again, virtual cookies to everyone!!! :D But, okay, time to get to some reviews.**

**Madeline Cullen, I appreciate that. I definitely enjoy doing things differently, and I intend keeping it that way throughout the series. Dt, tisk, tisk, get your mind out of the gutter! :D Jacob Black Ooft... Phitt, thanks! I hope I pass it, too. I've had my permit for too long. She wants to move, thanks for the offer. If I ever need to give someone a sneak preview, you'll be the first one I contact. ;) And thanks again everyone for the encouraging comments! And all the support, too. It always seems that you guys are on the same page as me, cause I had this chapter planned before I got all the suggestions, but now of course I have no idea what I want to do for the next chapter. :P **

**Umm... yeah, I just posted a poetry corner that I'd like everyone to check out. I don't claim to be a poet, but neither did Max and I thought her poem was awesome in _The Final Warning_. So do that, and a new chappie of Ghost of Me is up for those who haven't already seen. Poll, review, check for updates on my profile, and uh... review!**

**Review Please!!**


	30. You Asked For It

**Chapter 29 - You Asked For It**

"Well, isn't this great?" I muttered, a lot calmer than I should have been. Okay, you guys know me, I was freaking out on the inside. Yet somehow I was oddly tranquil, or maybe it was just that I had spent the past five minutes so hyped up that I was crashing down from my adrenaline high. Either way, I didn't react nearly as panicked as I should have.

Fang shrugged, throwing me a knowing sideways glance. I could tell he was feeling the same way. Then he started walking in the direction the bus had left, and I stood back for a few seconds watching him. Glancing around, no one appeared to be looking out any windows from within the school. The doors would probably be locked too, so I couldn't call home. And no, I'm not some texting-crazed teen who cannot live without my cell phone. I hardly ever have it on me, like right now for instance. When I need it the most.

Fang paused several yards away and turned back to me. "You coming?" he called, waiting for me to follow him.

I know I'd said earlier in the book that as soon as I could get the chance to stop riding the bus I would, but I didn't mean it quite that literally. Our home was a few miles away in the middle of farm country. By the time we got home, Mom would be pissed not only that we were late getting home, but also because we'd missed our daily chores. That would _not_ be a fun confrontation.

Then I heard muffled groans as I noticed the jocks struggling to their feet, and I realized that now I had no option. I ran to Fang and we skedaddled out of there.

It was silent between us for a while as we headed home. I had my arms folded across my chest, kicking a small rock on the ground twenty feet ahead of me and repeating the action every time I caught up to where it had settled. Fang burrowed his hands into his jean pockets, his black shirt pushed up to rest at his elbows. He stared ahead, at the houses we passed, at the road, anything except me. The silence was a little unnerving.

I was a little nervous to ask him anything, but there was so much I wanted to do. I wanted to throw him into that garbage can resting along the curb and sit on the lid, or maybe kick him senselessly like the rock at my feet. I didn't need to be helped back there, no matter how it appeared. He knows me better than that; I'm not a damsel in distress. Then again, I was a little flattered that he helped out. But I'd never admit that to him.

"So…" I mumbled awkwardly, watching the little pebble dribble against the asphalt.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Fang looking at me expectantly. "Yeah?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. Okay, put on your tough face, Max. He needed to know he was in deep water with me. "You're in for it when we get home," I warned, but my voice didn't carry the desired affect I was aiming for. In response, he smirked that annoying way of his.

"I'm serious," I said went on earnestly. "That was completely unnecessary of you back there. I can handle myself. I was going to take care of them, and you probably made it harder than it should have been to get away."

"First, it was an unfair fight," he said. "Two big guys against you, even though you could have taken them out. It just didn't seem right. Second, I wasn't about ready to let them '_show you what real men are.'"_

I glowered at him. "You do realize that now we could both be in trouble, right? If they accuse us of jumping them they could suspend us." I thought for a second. "Well, they'll suspend you, and they'll probably expel me. I'm already on their wanted list."

"They can't prove anything," he reminded me. "No one was watching us, unless they have the outside building under surveillance."

I huffed, still annoyed and still ready to kick his butt, tightening my arms against my chest. Then I heard him snicker and I turned to see him smiling so suddenly that I nearly leapt up in the air out of shock. He tried smothering his laughter by coughing but I was having none of it.

"What?" I demanded. He was seriously digging himself a grave.

He shook his head and said nothing. Typical.

"Tell me now," I ground out in my most low, threatening tone I could muster.

"It's nothing."

I punched his arm, which only caused him to fall out of step for a moment. It didn't appear to have hurt him at all, which only made me angrier. Then something hit me. "You enjoyed that, didn't you? That little act you put on at school?"

His good humor stopped suddenly as the blood seemed to drain from his face. He looked straight ahead and strode with his shoulders tense. His lips were locked in a firm line.

I knew I had him.

"You did!" I gushed, suddenly excited by my discovery. Fang got more pissed and walked faster, causing me to jog to keep up. "I knew it! You _wanted_ to do that!" I wasn't going to add what Angel had told me because I still wasn't convinced it was true.

He glared down at me, and if I weren't so gleeful— jeez, what was up with me? — I would have cowered from his gaze. "I did what I had to so they would leave you alone," he said stiffly with an edge of steel.

"Yeah, and look how good it worked, Fmarco," I joked.

"If I go around school tomorrow and have jocks calling me _Fmarco_, you'll be the one in trouble," he warned, but he did seem to lighten up. Somewhat.

"Yeah right." I snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

Something in the depths of his dark eyes sparkled, and he smirked in a very dangerous way. That and his dark hair and clothing mixed with his thick, black lashes added to an overall threatening appearance. I shivered, but it wasn't out of fear or cold.

"Really?" he asked darkly.

I placed my famous stubborn-set face on, jutting out my chin to show that I wasn't afraid of him. I nodded.

He chuckled and, before I saw it coming, he tackled me. We fell onto a patch of grass that was someone's property. He knocked the breath out of me, landing on my back. I struggled to knock him off, but he held my hands tightly against my side. What the hell? He was being such a jerk, and then when we got home he was _really _in for it.

"Get off," I rasped, causing him to laugh. I used his momentary lapse in attention to shoulder him off. He fell on the ground next to me, clutching his side as his body shook with laughter. I shoved him in an attempt to get him to stop. But, I hated to admit, I actually kind of liked the sound. Fang had barely laughed, much less cracked a smile, and the sound was addicting. "What the hell was that?" I demanded anyway, flustered and appalled.

"You should have seen the look on your face," he said once he'd found his voice.

I jumped to my feet, hands clenched in rage. Watching this made him laugh again, and I felt my face flush in shame and fury. He was such an idiot. I stormed off toward home, knowing we were only a few streets away. Fang hopped to his feet and ran after me.

"I'm sorry, but I warned you," he said lightly. "And you asked for it."

"Yeah, well, you asked for it too. Now you've gotten on my bad side all over again. Consider this war, Fang."

He half-smiled, calculating something mentally. Then he gave me space, walking several feet away from me. It was quiet, but not an uncomfortable silence like before. This was a tense, angry stillness. At least that's how it felt to me. I knew he was still laughing on the inside about his little 'game', but he had no idea who he was messing with. I was Max Ride, and I could make his life a living hell. Plus, I lived with him. There was so much dirt I could dig up that I could spread it around school in a heartbeat. That and my little uncovering of his enjoyment with pretending to be my girlfriend. Yeah, I'd show him whose boss in a snap.

We came up to my home, walking the long driveway up. When I gazed at the front door, I saw a lean figure standing on the porch. Then I realized who it was and noticed the not-too-pleased look on her face. My heart stopped. It was Mom, and she was _not_ happy.

Oh boy.

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**You are now reading Fang's Blog. Welcome!  
Today's Date: Not soon enough!  
You are visitor number: 23**

**In the Dog-House**

It has come to my attention that apparently pissing off women is the last thing I should ever do in life. Now I know what some of you are thinking: _You just figured that out _now, _Sherlock?_ Granted, this is a basic life lesson that most men learn at a young age. You must realize that I've been in foster care most of my life. I'd never been in a home long enough to see the natural Mother Nature unleash her wrath. But now I'd unleashed it, and boy, am I in trouble.

Yesterday I sort of got in a mix-up with a friend of mine and some obnoxious jocks, causing me to miss the bus and be late arriving home— which you have to understand, I live on a farm in which case you should _never_ be late for _anything._ Something about the law of the farm. Anyway, so my foster mom is angry at me and Max, my foster sister, for missing our chores. Now we were both screwed, and we're both in solitary confinement until Thanksgiving.

But the other half of this is that Max is also peeved with me for interfering with the mix-up. If you knew Max, you'd know how annoying it is to have to deal with her attitude, and temper, and her stubborn nature. Who knew where she got it from? But still, she's mad at me, and has claimed "war" on me for not leaving her alone. All I have to say is, "Bring it on, Max!" Just remember I know where you sleep. And please, no obnoxious "Fang-you're-a-creeper" comments because I'm not like that.

As far as my search for Itex has gone, I haven't found any new leads. I spent last night doing research while my foster mom was making dinner and Max and Ella, my other foster sister, were out riding their horses. Any trace of this company has been erased from the Internet, and no viewers seemed to know anything. But thanks, lilrn102 for checking into it with your doctor-parents. Any info helps. Keep looking, and I'll keep doing research from this part.

Well, gotta go. The bell's gonna ring soon and they kick us out at the end of each period.

- Fang, from somewhere in America

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**I had 12 reviews last chapter, not bad for being out less than 24 hours. :D I'm sure everyone's glad I posted again today, and that was mostly because I had a NSN wave come over me. I was in a zone, and I couldn't ignore writing. So, yeah, maybe I found mojo again. We'll see in the next couple days. ;)**

**She wants to move, aw, thanks! You make me feel like I'm famous. :P Haha. Dt, I realize that (cause my guy friends are the same way... well some of them anyway). Twilightloverrr, yay, a new reader! Those are my 3 favorite words in the world. :D Glad you're enjoying it so far. Madeline Cullen, eww, guyliner. :P Fang's too cool for the Goth scene, but any other Goth guy pulls it off fabulously IMO (then again, I have a strange taste in guys. Ask cloudNrain and she'll vouch for me.) I'm glad everyone liked Max's new power, and I hope everyone enjoyed Fang's blog, especially since i don't claim to be a blogger.**

**Now, today's breaking news is a new poll that I've posted that is kind of important. It basically asks what you wouldn't want to see happen in this series, and I'd appreciate as much feedback as possible. Granted, some things on there will be included and some won't, no matter what, unless I get like hate-mail and death threats, then maybe I won't put it in. However, you also must realize that this is me we're talking about, and if I include something you don't like, I'll twist it in a different way than you're used to. So, yeah, do the poll!**

**Review please!!**


	31. Author's Note 2

**Author's note 2**

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm not gonna lie, but I'm kind of in a rut again. I feel the pressure, with only a few weeks before school begins, of needing to finish summer assignments and so forth of things I've neglected or, rather, things that my self-diagnosed ADD has pulled me away from working on. So, I have books to read, journals to write, and other various things that I can't focus on but still need to do.

Also I just realized how busy the next few weeks will be, with my hockey season starting and my birthday coming up, also my driving test and school, possibly NYC and who knows what's all in store. I have to say that I need to start buckling down, so updates won't be as frequent. And then I have other stories on top of this one, and sadly I neglect them so much because NSN is so near to my heart (aw, isn't that sweet?). So if updates aren't as often as you like, I'm giving you warning.

Anyway, this applies to you guys because I just need a couple days to refocus on writing. Truth is, I did write the next chapter, but it's so bad it doesn't even seem like I wrote it. It's a bit angst-y, and since I'm not particularly experienced in angst it really doesn't seem right. Really, just give me a couple days and I promise the chapter will be out.

In case you haven't noticed, I didn't find mojo. :(

But I seriously need to give a big shout out to Kiliro for giving me _thirty reviews_!!! That's what I call dedication. :D Man, so this leaves me at a point where I have 299 reviews, so the 300th gets virtual cookies!! And maybe some confetti thrown at them. Haha, either way keep reviewing!

I also need to thank Fuzzylogic11 for already doing the next point I wanted to bring up. The results of my latest poll have been very interesting. Some things I expected and some I didn't. So, all I want for this AN if for you guys to leave reviews about why you voted for what you did, or your opinions on all the options, like Fuzzylogic11 (thanks again!) because I want to know where everyone is coming from. If you could do that, I'd love you guys even more than I already do!

Okay, I'm done rambling. I promise to work on the next chapter and have it out in a couple days. Although I have more distractions cause I just bought _When the Wind Blows_ and _The Lake House_ by James Patterson, the books Maximum Ride are based off of. Frankly, they're awesome! And if you haven't read them you should.

Look for updates, and please review!

**--biteoutoflife--**


	32. Change of Heart

**Chapter 30 – Change of Heart**

You see, when I told Fang that I was declaring war, I expected it to be a nice little prank on my behalf that gave me a good laugh, humiliated Fang momentarily, and then we'd go on with our lives as if nothing happened. Little did I know that, when I pranked him once in a _lighthearted manner_, he wanted to get me back. So after I'd photoshopped a picture of him into having guyliner, tattoos, and gothic clothing, he'd respond by drawing unicorns, rainbows, and fluffy rabbits on all my textbook covers, notebooks, and my book bag. Now when I walked in school, guys would smile strangely at me or hold their hands behind their heads to resemble bunny ears.

I was about ready to murder Fang.

But then again, I did declare war. And war was hardly ever a one-sided attack. Cause that would just be mutilation.

So of course the biggest bomb, which wasn't part of the prank, was thrown on me at my second attempt to get Fang.

_Ha ha, Fang, very funny. Two can play at this game_, I'd thought snidely as I was prepping for my next prank. Of course, when I was right on the verge of unleashing my own brand of evil genius, I had an interruption.

_Max,_ the Voice had said in a condemning tone.

_Voice, long time no annoy. _I hadn't heard from the Voice in a while, and I was really enjoying having my mind to myself. To keep it somewhat-sane, anyway. I mean, now I could walk through walls! Talk about a kickass power! _What brings you around on this finest of days?_

_You shouldn't focus your time on revenge and petty affairs. You have more important matters to attend to. More factors you must involve yourself in._

_Well, I'm currently involved in some pretty important affairs, if you ask me,_ I had muttered mentally. Why did it have to be so annoying, especially when I was busying myself with a very important prank? I gauged the amount of load I was putting in and how much bleach would be needed. I wasn't completely heartless; I only put in enough to spot some of Fang's shirts. He'd be known as a negative-photo Dalmatian in school for a while.

I swore I'd heard the Voice sigh. _You should pay more attention to him, Max. He's on the right track, and you're distracting yourself from your mission._

_Screw my mission. I don't even know what it is. And don't give me that 'save the world' crap. I hear that enough on TV. _I'd shut the lid of the washing machine, flipped a few dials, and began washing Fang's laundry. He always did his own, but I'd manage to scrounge up a few that he hadn't gotten around to.

_You are really not seeing the Big Picture. There is time for play, and there is time to work. If you can balance the two than you can master anything. Right now I see you playing, and Fang balancing._

_God, if you constantly praise Fang, why don't you annoy him? What do you want from me?_

_It's not what I want, but what the world needs. Fang's starting to put the pieces together, and you should pay attention to what he finds. He's insightful, but he's not the one who can save the world._

_Than what is he? Why talk highly of him if I'm the world saver?_

_He's your accomplice, a helper. One you can lean on and trust. Keep him close, Max, and you'll be unbeatable._

"Ugh, go away!" I said angrily, just as Ella entered into the laundry room. Her eyes were wide with shock and fear, and I sort of felt bad. She'd thought I was talking to her. "Uh… I was, uh, preparing for the school play," I lied. "Trying out for a role. _Ugh, go away!"_ I threw my fist in the air like I was reciting a line.

She'd raised an eyebrow, questioning my ever fading sanity. "Max, you hate acting. Unless… there's a boy you're trying to impress," she said mischievously. "That's totally cute, then. You're finally turning into a girl."

It had taken all my self-control not to snarl at her. I shook my head, frustrated, and pushed by her, muttering about "impressing a boy," the entire time.

When I had headed for the stairs, Fang stepped out of the hallway to block my path. "So, impressing a boy, huh? Who's your lover this time?"

"I'm not in the mood, Fang," I'd ground out, feeling a headache coming on.

Then he'd chuckled, which pushed me over the edge. In between him, Ella, and the Voice, my patience was a kid in an empty room with only a "Do Not Press This" sign on a button in front of him. You do the math. I shoved him out of the way and stomped to my room. I felt his gaze on my back the whole way there, but he didn't laugh again.

My prank had been pretty good. Fang was definitely pissed, but not as bad as Mom was when I'd accidentally slipped one of her lace camis into his clothing. So now whenever she wore it she looked like the night sky did at a campsite. She wasn't too thrilled.

The next day in school, Fang struck again, and I had to give him credit for the publicity this one got. We were in lunch; well at least it was my lunch period. He had the timeslot before mine. Anyway, when I walked out of the lunch line to grab a chair, right when I was about to take a seat, the chair magically disappeared from underneath me. I fell on my ass, and my food went flying everywhere, including hitting a cheerleader at the table behind where I was at. She screamed like I'd thrown worms on her.

Everyone in cafeteria laughed, and I'd never been as embarrassed in my whole life as I was in that moment.

Fang had got me good, and I really wanted to bring it to him.

I didn't know where to begin, and when I'd asked James for advice, he brought up some crazy scheme about an automated fart machine. I had no idea what that was, or even if I wanted to know, but I'm sure if he made it I would get in serious trouble. I wanted to embarrass Fang as much as he'd done to me. The only thing I could think of to acheive this was digging up some dirt on him. And obviously, he wasn't the type to broadcast his personal secrets to the world.

But this was me we were talking about, and I had a couple ideas about finding what makes Fang tick.

My first and easiest search for finding his secrets was through the great information dumpster, as I refer to it. The Internet. Yeah, I hated to admit that I was actually going to read his blog after clearly telling him that I would never be caught dead on it. Of course, he was more cautious about giving personal info through it, unlike some people I know in this household (*cough* Ella *cough*). There was nothing really to get from it. And I hated to admit it, but his blog was… decent. Okay, it was good, stop ragging me for it!

But don't tell him I said that.

The only other way to find out about Fang would take a ton of trickery, luck, and skill on my part. I could possibly be risking my life by doing this, too. Not sure yet. Either way, it was all in the timing, and I was going to have to be patient. Although it was gonna be a lot harder sneaking into his room because he spent most of his time there since we were grounded, or locked in "solitary confinement" as he called it in his blog. But I wasn't giving up all hope yet, and I needed to strike quickly before he declared himself the victor of this war.

And the first good news came after we'd finished our chores today after school. Mom called to say she was coming home late since she had to rush a dog into immediate surgery and she as the only surgeon on call. This doesn't seem like big news to you guys, but knowing she was gonna be gone for a few extra hours meant that her rules practically didn't apply. Which also meant that Fang didn't want to stay inside.

The score was tied 2:2, and this was my chance to go for the win.

I watched with a giddy grin as Fang walked past the stables, The Pen, and riding ring out to the forest by my house, doing God knows what. I didn't care at this particular moment. He was gone and now I had to take advantage of the opportunity. Sneaking by Ella, who was glued to the TV, I headed toward his room…

The door was closed, but not unlocked, which was a good sign. The revenge-crazed part of my brain was begging the sane side to bust in and begin my search. However, the sane side did wonder if I was going to be regret snooping, and also regret finding something that may be disappointing. What could I find in his room that would upset me? Unless I found weapons coated in blood. Or maybe dresses. Hmm. Actually that'd be pretty good blackmail.

The revenge-crazed side won, and I opened the door as quietly as possible, peering in to make sure he didn't suddenly develop the power of making copies of himself. He couldn't, so it was pretty much smooth sailing from here. Even the window in his room looked out into the backyard so I could watch in case he decided to return early from whatever he was doing. Sometimes I really didn't want to know what went on in his head.

His room wasn't too different from when he'd first moved in. A poster of the Blues Brothers was on the wall, but on the floor was a bunch of dark clothing. Ugh, men are such slobs, although I hardly keep my room clean either. I tiptoed over the randomly strewn t-shirts, jeans, and jackets to the Promise Land, or rather his nightstand. What secrets lie inside? Machetes? Pornography? Maybe condoms. Ew, okay, that's gross. I really hope I don't find those or else I'll never be able to look at him the same way ever again.

I started with the top drawer, seeing as it was closest to the bed. It wheeled open easily, and I examined its contents curiously. There was nothing here to use. Inside were some books, his iPod, a wallet, and a couple 4x6 photos buried underneath everything. I examined his iPod for a bit, scanning through the artists. All his music seemed to be either acoustic or indie. His taste was okay, I guess. I kind of preferred country myself.

I picked the photos next, looking through them carefully. Then of course, after seeing them, I felt bad for looking. They were pictures of a little boy with dark hair, olive-toned skin, and dark eyes with a woman who looked around her thirties with brown hair and blue eyes. In each photo they were grinning, looking extremely happy. Fang's eyes lit up in a child-like way, and I'd never seen him like that in my life. He was always so guarded, so closed-off. He never let his emotions through to people. But seeing him like this, with a goofy five-year-old grin on his face, made me look at him completely differently. What happened to this child?

Oh yeah, his mother died. I guess that would do it.

Feeling like someone had just driven a steak into my stomach, I placed the pictures back where I'd found them. I felt so bad for snooping, especially seeing that Fang wasn't always as tense and dark as he was now. I never really understood what it would be like for him. I didn't want to find out either. Losing my mom would be the most traumatic thing I could think of happening, and he was _five_ when it happened. Oh God. What's that feeling I'm experiencing? Remorse? Condolence? Why did I have to come into his room? Now I was actually feeling sorry for the kid.

I hated to admit it, but I suddenly wasn't thrilled by the idea of getting even with Fang. I wanted to know him better, this kid that was in these pictures. Find out about him by having him tell me, and not through sneaking around his room. Suddenly disgusted with myself, I returned everything the way I'd found it before. I exited his room without opening the door, using my handy-dandy new skill, and ran straight for my room.

I didn't understand why I had this sudden change of heart, but the one thing I did know was that Fang would never let this down when I told him.

This may look like the end of our war, but I'd get him when he least expected it.

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**The second half of this isn't as good as the first half, but this is what I'm offering right now. Listening to too much Nightwish while writing. :P To those of you who read Ghost of Me and saw that I was going to NYC, the trip's changed dates due to circumstances that are out of my hands. Now I'll be gone Labor Day weekend, which is just right after my birthday. (Dt, mine is the 28th, so you beat me, although I'm probably older than you are.) I start ice hockey tonight, yay!! I miss the ice soooo much, and today is super hot so it should feel amazing. :)**

**Congrats to Kiliro for being reviewer # 300!!! Cookies to you, kid!! ReadWriteRide, we've tried signs already. I'm afraid it's too late for mojo. *sniffles* Flapjackpancake, yeah so I've read on wikipedia. I'm almost done with When the Wind Blows, although I've been reading various scenes from The Lake House anyway. :P Thank you Blissful-x-Optimism for commenting on the poll. That brings up what I want to talk about next.**

**So far I've had 2 people tell me about their poll choices, and the other various options and their opinions of that, too. It's very important that more people do so. I'll be closing the poll soon, and when I do I'll tell the results, and also my opinions on the options. That'll be a long A/N. :P ****Most of them I've never considered and just threw on because it seems like a lot of people write about them, and others are definite considerations. So again, please be sure to give me your feedback.**

**Review please!**


	33. Importance

**Chapter 31 – Importance **

While this may come as a complete shock to some of you, I totally came to expect this before it even happened. If you have no idea what I'm referring to, go back and read the second last sentence from chapter 30 and then you'll see what I'm going to say next. Basically, I told Fang that I wanted a truce, and now he's under the tad belief that _he_ beat _me_, when it was obvious that we'd tied. And, of course, since this was Fang we were talking about, he totally acted like a gentleman about the whole thing. And if you couldn't tell that was sarcasm than there is definitely something wrong with you.

I may sound a little harsh today, and even though this week had been pretty good, recent events had put me in a miserable mood. The goods were that I did finish my report for biology, and I had to admit that I was pretty impressed with my work. Using Fang as a helper for collecting information had definitely worked in my advantage. The guards at school had been very un-annoying, or rather not as involved as they normally were, which almost made it seem like nothing had changed. You know, if having burly, creepy guards around school was normal for all kids from a small town. And as an added bonus, James had managed to go an entire week without bomb making, evil scheming (that I know of), or even getting detention. I was so impressed that when I voiced my opinion I got him to blush and grin shyly. He had some charm, even if he used all of it for evil.

And please don't make any false assumptions. No, I'm not falling for him. I know him too well.

However, my week turned upside down the other day when Mom received a fateful phone call. She seemed a little shocked and genuinely excited, but I was a little skeptical. I didn't want to spy on the caller ID, but I assumed it was that Justin guy I met at the clinic. But she wasn't giddy enough for it to be him. We hadn't talked about that situation at all, and Fang hadn't had a second thought about it either. He wasn't as worried as I was.

Mom had shaken her head in amazement as she placed the phone in its doc. I'd raised an eyebrow. Fang and I were still in solitary confinement, so I was sprawled out on the couch and he was sitting on the floor. I'd felt his gaze on me and I instantly felt self-conscience.

"Ella, get in here," Mom had called. A few seconds passed before she loped down the steps, leaning over the railing to look at Mom.

"What's up?" she'd asked, looking from me to Fang to Mom.

"Jeb just called," Mom had responded, a tone of wonder in her voice. "He offered for us to join him on Thursday for a Thanksgiving Day meal." Oh, my God. It was worse than I ever could have imagined.

"Why?" I'd blatantly called out, suddenly feeling rage blaze through me. "Where did all of this come from?" Even Fang was tense; I knew he hated the guy almost as much as I did.

Mom had shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't really give me a reason."

_If a psychopath asked you to enter an abandoned home with him for no reason, would you do it?_ I'd wondered.

"But you said 'no', right?" Ella had asked. She had a reason for not wanting to go. After all, we had different fathers. She had no relation to Jeb. Lucky girl.

Mom had sighed. "I couldn't turn him down…" Ella and I had groaned. "And besides, you'll get to see Ari again." She was talking to me, and I'd pursed my lips in consideration. It was true; I hadn't seen my half-brother in a while. He was a sweet seven-year-old, who I had no idea how he could have been related to Jeb. Me, on the other had, I could see the relation to.

"Really, how bad can it be?" The last time she'd asked that, Jeb had given me a "your destiny is to save the world" crap. I swore he reminded me of the Voice. I really didn't want to know how bad this could be.

So that brought us to today, the infamous Thanksgiving Day. While everyone in town was thinking of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and football, I was thinking about ways of avoiding my crazy father. I know, some of you think that you have problems. Think of me and you'll suddenly realize how lovely your life is.

I was in my room, getting ready and "presentable", as Mom wanted all of us to be. My idea of the word was wearing un-crap-stained jeans and a clean, long-sleeved green shirt. It was comfortable and breathable… in case I need to run away at all. I mean, Jeb's home was a few miles from ours, and buses did run through our towns daily. I hoped they weren't on break today.

There was a knock on my door and I sighed. "Ella, tell Mom I'll be down soon." I ran over to the mirror and quickly weaved my hair into a long braid. It was getting darker now, almost brown. In a few weeks all traces of blond would be gone. Oh well, at least I didn't have to pay for highlights and dye jobs.

"Ella's still in the bathroom," a deep voice said, and I felt stupid for two reasons. One, I should have figured I'd be done before her and two, she would have just shouted her message without the bother of knocking. "Can I come in?"

"Whatever," muttered as I tied the end of my hair off. The door creaked open and in slinked the tall, thin figure of Fang. Like always, he'd been pretty quiet the past few days… except for when he'd rag on me about the prank war. He even told James that he'd won. Men are jerks and competition-obsessed. "What do you want?" I turned around to face him. He was wearing his usual— dark jeans and a gray buttoned shirt (one that I hadn't ruined). His dark, shoulder length hair was brushed back.

He leaned against the doorway. "I've been thinking," he began, watching me impassively.

I rolled my eyes. "Really? I'm so proud of you, Fang."

He ignored my comment. "We're going to Jeb's house, and he used to work with your mom."

"Yeah, so?"

"He worked with her… at Itex."

Oh. Well now that made sense. I hadn't looked at Fang's blog since I'd tried to gather information about him, but I could tell his search wasn't going too well. Itex was either very underground or in some serious trouble with the government that erased any traces of them. I knew what he was thinking about.

"You think you can find information there." It wasn't a question. I was simply saying what I saw in his eyes.

"There has to be something. If not on Itex, than something about his past. Doctors always keep records of their pasts. Diplomas, certificates, anything. Even old textbooks and medical encyclopedias. Maybe he has special sections marked off."

"And this applies to me how?" I crossed the room to grab a jacket from my closet.

"He has an office in his home?"

"Yeah. I'm guessing you need me to show you around." He nodded, and I sighed. "Fang… I'm not sure I want to be involved with this."

"Why? Are you afraid?"

Again, this touched a nerve on my total fabulousness. I could handle taunting, flirting, and even the physical pain, but if someone challenged my bravery I got defensive. "Of course not. I'm just not sure your search is necessary."

_Max._

_Ugh, go away!_

"I don't care what you think. I know what I'm doing and if you won't help me I might discover a hidden passageway that will lead me to a dungeon underground."

"Hey, if you find one let me know. Maybe it will help get Jeb arrested."

_You should help him, Max. He's trying to help your Cause and you're ignoring him. _

_Why is it so important? _

_Everything is a part of the Big Picture._

"Thanks for nothing," I muttered.

"What?"

"Uh, nothing." His eyebrows raised in acknowledgement of the Voice.

"So, are you in?"

"Yeah, I guess so," I sighed. I wasn't happy about it, but if I could get the Voice off my case for a little while than that was something.

_Good for you. You're finally accepting your destiny._

_Yeah, yeah, when I find out whatever the hell it is, I'll prove that it wasn't all it's cracked up to be._

* * *

**Sorry I didn't feel like checking over this chapter, so if there are any mistakes I apologize. Don't have too much time to spend on reviews. I want to discuss (well, I guess it isn't a discussion since it's one-sided) about this story with everyone. And no, it's not as bad as it sounds. The first thing I wanted to say is that the poll is officially closed, and thank you to all 29 of you who voted. Results are up for you to see. As promised, I will post my feelings on the options, but that will come later. **

**The next thing is, I don't know how many of you checked my story updates before, but I posted the possible names for the Not So Normal sequels. I think they'll be called "Anything But Easy" and then "Made to Overcome". My next poll will be about those titles so be sure to tell me what you think of them. I have a very brief summary (like, one that you'd use to describe your story on the website) for the second book, and if you want me to post it I will next chapter. Be sure to tell me if you want to see it _while you review!!_**

**So, like I said before, this A/N is gonna be long because I'm giving my opinions on the options on my previous poll. Most of them were just fillers because they are situations that happen in like every other fanfiction I see and I wanted an honest opinion on them because, frankly, we need something different to happen. Here you go, my opinion on the options:**

**1. A member of the flock dying: Never really a consideration. I don't think I could kill a member of the flock... at least in this story.**

**2. Introducing more bird-kids: NO! Definitely no. I learned my lesson from trying to write a somewhat original story about non-flock members. The flock is the way it is, and I don't intend on adding anyone, or even other animal-bird crosses. So sorry Total fans, but he will be in the way he _should_ be.**

**3. A minor character dying: Definitely still a consideration. I don't know who yet... or even if I will. I don't have serious plots developed for the sequels so anything can happen.**

**4. Max going out with another guy: Eh... I really don't see that happening. Max isn't the "going out" type. Except, you know, for Fang she'll make an exception. **

**5. Introducing a Brigid/Lissa character: As referred to in one chapter (I forget which one) when a girl tried flirting with Fang he wasn't interested. And he only _likes_ Max. Imagine when he realizes he loves her! ( :X No one heard that from me). So, yeah, I despise Brigid and Lissa so I'm not adding anyone like them.**

**6. Going enviornmental and all that jazz: As you can see from that alone, I'm not interested in the Green movement. I know that keeping the planet healthy is important, but the extents that people are going through to do so seems a little... extreme. I'd have no idea how to write it in, anyway.**

**7. A flock member going bad: Also a possibility. I know some of you were saying that you can't break their bond, you have have to realize that they don't exactly have the same bond the flock in the story had. 1) they didn't grow up in the School together and 2) they never lived like a family. Their relationship isn't the same, so someone could definitely go bad.**

**8. Fang moving out of the Martinez home: Well, this is also a possibility. Mostly because of the awkward tension later on in the series, when Dr. M finds out that they have feelings for each other. She won't want to risk anything bad happening. It might seem like a Fax killer, but it also may save them from the next option I'm going to talk about. **

**9. Max and Fang having sex: Ah, yes, the dreaded option. I've been wanting to explain the question in a way that people may not have seen earlier. First of all, I'm not going to make them have sex in this book, or in any book in the series. You guys know me; I don't do things like everyone else. If they did have sex, I wouldn't have included a crazy, mutant bird-kid spawn. If I ever included a sex scene in a story, I wouldn't make them get pregnant. And even if I did, I would twist it like making their child human or something.**

**I totally agree with everyone who thinks they're too young, even though in the last book they'll be sixteen. That's still too young. Period. I'm sixteen now (almost seventeen, yippee!) and I know I'm still not mature enough for sex, and I'm more mature than a lot of kids my age. So are Max and Fang. And by being mature, they know it would never fit into their lives. Now, I may have them consider it, or, like, talk about it, but it's not gonna happen.**

**Okay, I feel so much better getting this off my chest. Now you guys can (sort of) see where I was coming from with these options. Nothing is final, and anything can change. So be sure to review and check out the new poll tomorrow night. That's it. I'm out.**


	34. Nerves

**Chapter 32 - Nerves**

I was wound tighter than a Twizlers Pull-N-Peel and was tapping my foot on the car's floor as the seconds passed. There was sweat dewing on the back of my neck. My eyes watched the other passing cars go with jealousy, longing to be with them, getting away from where I was going. With the way I was reacting you'd think they were shipping me off to Military School or a loony bin. I wish I could have been that lucky. Instead we were joining my dad at his place for a Thanksgiving meal. Sounds harmless enough, right? You'd be wrong.

Getting a hold of my nerves was like reining in a frightened horse. _It shouldn't be so bad_, I tried reasoning with myself. _It's just dinner._ It seemed a little unorthodox that I was so anxious, and yet I couldn't act any other way. My natural instinct was to run away from horrible situations, but like I'd tried telling my subconscious I had no idea what was going on. It might actually be good.

Just like murder and stealing might actually be good. Give me a break.

My comparison was harsh, but I was still on edge. All I had to do was think of the good things. My half-brother would be excited to see me. I only got to visit the kid a couple times a year and that made me feel horrible since we were related. I lived with Ella, and my other half-sibling is neglected. If I spent all my time with him today, it might not be so bad.

Mom and Ella, who were sitting up front in our sedan, were either unaware or ignoring my freak-out in the back seat. They knew without observing my nervous ticks that I wasn't excited about today. None of us were, really, except for maybe Mom. Fang and I were in the back, on opposite sides of the car. His head was leaning against window as he watched the passing scenery.

Oh geez, thinking of Fang made me remember what I'd promised him. We were supposed to go snooping through Jeb's house looking for clues about Itex. This wasn't something I was particularly fond of doing, if you didn't catch my drift from the last chapter. I thought he was crazy in pursuing an unknown company, but the Voice had said he was on to something. Oh God, now I'm listening to the Voice. What's coming over me?

I felt a hand on mine, which was resting on my lap, and I looked up to see Fang staring at me. His face was impassive as usual, but I was able to read what he was thinking in his black eyes. He wanted me to calm down, but he was also reminding me of why coming here was important. My eyes wandered back down to his olive-toned hand on mine, and I instantly felt my cheeks flush. It was such a stupid reaction. I shied away from his touch and he withdrew his hand automatically. Why did he do that? Why was I being such a weenie today?

Soon we pulled into a driveway. Jeb lived in a very nice, upscale, one-level home. It was very Mod with unique shaped windows and roofs. The place was very expensive and very cool. I almost wished I lived here, but then I wouldn't have Gale at my disposal at any time.

We all exited the car and walked up the stone steps to a chocolate brown door. Mom pressed the bell. A moment later a nanny (yes, I know, he has a nanny for one kid) answered and ushered us into the living room. Let me tell you it didn't look any different from the outside of the place. Crazy furniture surrounded a steel fireplace. A chandelier hung from the roof, its crystals dripping like frozen raindrops. Sitting on one of the sofas, playing with a Nintendo DS, was a cute little kid with blond hair and green eyes. He looked up and grinned. "Max!" he called, running up to me.

"Hey, Ari." I knelt down and hugged him. Did I ever mention that when we did see each other he was attached to my hip? He idolized me for some strange reason. I just realized how bad that would be when Fang and I went off on our own. Wow, that sounds really wrong.

"Hi, buddy," Mom said, ruffling his thin hair once he'd finally let go of me. "Where's your dad?"

Ari looked up at her and blinked as he thought. He was so cute. "Uh, the kitchen, I think." Mom nodded and walked off. He turned his attention from her to my sister. "Ella," he said happily, hugging her briefly.

"Hey, kid. How's it going?" She straightened up from their hug.

"Good, I want to show you guys my new video game…" His voice trailed off as he looked at Fang, who was hanging back in the veranda looking through hallways. He was like a shadow, very tall, dark, and intimidating. Sensing our gaze, he looked at the three of us. "Who's that?" Ari asked quietly.

"Oh, that's just Fang," I replied cheerily. "He's not as bad as he looks. Fang, come over here," I asked him, and he sauntered into the living room. He looked at Ari briefly and then me, comparing us mentally. "This is my brother, Ari," I told Fang.

"Yo," said Fang with a nod.

"Hi," Ari whispered, leaning on my side. "Why are you here? Are you Max's boyfriend?" Fang smirked and I got a little annoyed. I knew he was enjoying that comment a little too much. Then I thought of his gesture earlier and was greatly puzzled. Had he meant anything by it or was he just reminding me of what we we're going to do? I hardly understood him anymore.

"No, he's our foster brother," Ella supplied. "Didn't your dad tell you that we'd gotten one?"

He shook his head, and we three older kids shared a significant glance. Why didn't Jeb tell him about Fang? Was it something Ari wasn't supposed to know about? He knew that we wanted to house foster kids, right? We'd talked about it for a long time. But he didn't live with us so he had no idea what was going on in the Martinez home.

To save us from the awkward situation we were in, Mom and Jeb, the Spawn of Satan **(Thanks Madeline Cullen!!)**, entered the room. "Guys, dinner won't be ready for a while. Why don't you sit down and watch some TV?" Jeb offered. He sounded so sincere. Too bad I didn't trust him at all. "Valencia and I are going to finish up cooking." We nodded and watched them leave again.

Fang and I looked at each other. "Uh, guys, Fang and I are gonna go explore the house a bit," I said awkwardly.

Ella and Ari looked confused. "Why? Don't you want to stay here with us?" she asked innocently, but I understood the implications behind her question. She didn't want to be left alone with Ari. I felt bad, but it was necessary. And it wasn't like he was a burden anyway. It wasn't like the one time when we'd babysat Gabe and Angel Moore. Talk about a headache.

"I just wanted to show Fang the view from the back room," I lied. "It'll only take a minute or two, tops."

"Okay," Ari sighed. "Hurry back. We can play Wii!" He didn't suspect anything from Ella's question.

I nodded with a smile as Fang and I headed for the main hallway. If you didn't know Jeb's home it would be pretty easy to get lost. It was definitely too big for a family of two and their nanny. I was hoping she wasn't wandering around. It would be bad running into her. I took a few turns and we entered a giant room that resembled a miniature library. Three of the four walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves which were mostly filled with books, encyclopedias, and periodicals. At the center of the room was a desk with a schmancy Apple desktop sitting atop the fine oak.

"I wish we had more time to look," Fang said, marveling the rows of books.

I nodded weakly. "Yeah, we really need to be quick. We don't want anyone suspecting we're up to something we aren't." What was happening to my bravado? It was _me_ we were talking about. I blame Jeb.

"But isn't that the truth? We _are _doing something we shouldn't."

I shot him a cold look. "That wasn't funny. And that's not what I meant and you know it."

He grinned, a rare smile that lit up his face. I swore time had stopped for the instant he did it. I momentarily forgot that I was mad at him. "Back to business," he mumbled. He turned his attention to some medical textbooks.

I didn't want to hover over him so I checked the desk. A line of drawers dropped parallel to the legs, and I sifted through their contents. The top one held checkbooks, bills, and other various papers dealing with numbers and money. I didn't want to look at it anymore. The second contained what appeared to be paid bills, void checks, and more pointless papers that wasn't necessary to keep. All the other drawers appeared to hold similar crap so I moved on to the computer.

I wasn't very familiar with Macs but I knew how to work one well enough. Moving the mouse along the lower screen, I checked all the icons that appeared. It was the standard: Safari, Word, Photo Manager, Files. The last one was the only thing that looked promising. I clicked on it, and it took me through a bunch of Excel spreadsheets of taxes, a calendar list of appointments he'd scheduled (for the family and his patients), and visual books on new medical theories. It seemed so normal that it made me skeptical, but I didn't know what I was looking for to begin with.

"Any luck?" I asked Fang, rising from the desk.

"There are textbooks on DNA theory," he said. "And genetics. Even something about recombinant studies. Did you see something about Itex?"

"No." What Fang had found was similar to what we saw at my home. I wondered if it meant anything. What would my Mom and Jeb be doing with genetics and recombination? Mom was an animal's doctor and Jeb a people's. Did that mean something?

I noticed a stack of newspapers and started leafing through them. Somewhere in the back of my mind was alerting me that Ella and Ari might be getting suspicious, but I was entranced by the old dates on the periodicals. They ranged from 1987 to as recent as 2001. I pulled out an old one and flipped the pages. Inside the 'Local' section was a picture of a young-looking Jeb. It claimed that he'd graduated from Johns Hopkins University for medicine. The next one I grabbed was from 1993, and it was only of the advertisements in the back. It had job listings to home and car sales to missing kids. I didn't know what this had to do with the others.

"Fang, come here," I called over my shoulder. A few seconds later I felt his presence behind me even though I didn't hear his approach. He looked at the newspapers. "I think this is more of what you want. I saw one with a picture of Jeb. Maybe they'll mention something about Itex."

He looked through some others still stacked on the shelves. After reading through a third, I saw his eyes widen. He zipped open his jacket and stuffed the paper into his inner pocket.

"Are you crazy? You can't take anything from Jeb's house!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Consider it borrowing, then. I saw a heading about Itex. Stuff some in your coat. It won't be too obvious because he only took out certain sections."

"It'll be obvious if most of his newspapers are missing."

He rolled his eyes. "Just find ones that we need."

We sped through stacks of papers. I eventually found a few interesting articles and folded them into my pockets. He had one opened fully, reading the article with fervent interest. "Holy shit," he whispered. "I just hit the jackpot." Right when I was about to look, his head snapped from the paper to the door. "I hear footsteps," he said.

My ears strained, but I could hear them faintly, too. He expertly folded and stowed the paper away in his jacket, zipping up quickly. Seconds later the door opened and of course none other than my beloved father entered. "Hey, I was just showing Fang your library," I lied smoothly. "He really likes books."

Jeb's eyebrows rose. "Really? What do you enjoy reading?"

Fang shrugged. "Science fiction, fantasy, action. The supernatural, I guess."

"Well, I don't have too much of those books, unless you like_ Lord of the Rings_, but I'm sure you read that already." He either had no idea that we were snooping or he was really good at hiding it. "I wanted to let you know that your mother wants you to wash up for dinner. It'll be served in about ten minutes." His penetrating glance was directly on me, and I broadened my shoulders to show him I wasn't intimidated.

"Okay, I think we're done anyway," I told him.

He nodded. "Yes, well, I'll see you shortly. Feel free to borrow anything that looks interesting, Fang." It was like he was giving us an invitation. I didn't trust him at all. Why was he being so kind? He walked out and Fang and I looked at each other. We had no idea what Jeb was up to but it didn't look good.

* * *

**So, I just wanted to say that while the past few chapters have seemed kind of pointless, they have all given some important piece of information for the story, so be aware of that. I thought this was a little more interesting cause there was another hint of Fax. :P I promise it will come, but you have to be veeeeery patient. Also, I promise more action will be coming soon. I'm pretty excited because I came up with a new MR fanfic that I think will be awesome. It'll be called "Deception", and I'll start posting once I finish Ghost of Me.**

**Even though I only had 7 reviews last chapter I need to send a huge thanks to fangfan5 for giving me 30-something reviews!! :D You rock! Glad you're enjoying so far. BTW, the type of homes I was referring to that look like Jeb's are like these: http:// www dot costaricaoceanviewlots dot com slash mod underscore homes06 dot jpg**

**Do the new poll if you haven't. Review. I'll post the mini-summary for the second book in this series next chapter. Review. Uh... I guess all I have left is REVIEW!**


	35. Last Attempt

**Chapter 33 – Last Attempt**

Now that Fang and I had rejoined my family at the table, we could finally get underway with our Thanksgiving traditions. My mom had always wanted Ella and me to be grateful for everything we had, so we had to say what we were "giving thanks" for. I could think of about a thousand things I _wasn't_ happy about, but I had to come up with something decent to say. I didn't want my mom chewing me out for this.

Jeb and Mom sat at opposite ends of the rectangular table. I sat next to Ella, and Fang and Ari were on the other side of us. My half brother still was wary about my foster brother, but I figured there weren't too many kids that looked like Fang in elementary school.

Mom tapped her glass with a knife, like a bridesmaid gathering the attention of the wedding guests. We all watched, even though Ella and I knew exactly what she was going to say. "Thank you, Jeb, for preparing this fabulous meal for us. I'm never afraid to try something new, so when you invited us over I knew we couldn't refuse the offer. If you don't mind, Jeb, children, I'd like us to go around the table and say what we're thankful for. We have so much that others don't." I looked at Ella, and we mouthed the last sentence Mom had said silently, having heard it basically every year of our lives.

"I'll start," she went on, catching the eye of everyone at the table. "I'm thankful for this meal, and for being together. That everyone is healthy and happy. That the end of the year is approaching and a new one will soon begin." I rolled my eyes, hardly listening. I loved Mom but she was predictable. "Okay, you're turn, Ella."

Ella sighed. "Um, I'm thankful for a good riding season, and that school is going good, and that Christmas is coming soon." I snickered at that, and she stuck her tongue out at me. "You next, Max," she muttered.

"I'm glad that we're eating soon and that there is tons of food in front of us." Mom shot me a reproachful glance and I took a deep breath in. "Alright, I'm thankful that my horse is healthy, and that we have a good home, and that we can all be together." I looked up at Fang and shot him a look that told him that he was included in that statement. His mouth quirked into an acceptable smile for him.

"I'm thankful that Max is here!" Ari blurted, out of turn. I smiled at the kid; I did wish I could see him more. "And I'm thankful for video games." We all laughed.

Mom looked at Fang, continuing with the out-of-turn order. "The food, being here, having a family to spend Thanksgiving with." His eyes caught mine, and I could see something in the deep black irises spark. Remembering his hand on mine earlier, the unusual gesture, made me blush again. I looked away, embarrassed by his gaze.

"I'm last," Jeb announced to us, despite it being obvious. "I'm thankful that Valencia came, along with Max, Ella, and Fang." His eyes swept over the three of us, lingering on Fang and me for an extra second. "That we could meet like other normal families. Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope we can continue this tradition in the future."

_Normal? If you consider having two freaks at your table to be normal than you've got some serious issues, pal!_

* * *

It had been several weeks since that Thanksgiving meal which, to my surprise, was delicious and semi-normal. I hated admitting it, but it was an okay day. However things got even better when we got home. Fang and I spent that night in his room, reading the newspapers we'd taken from Jeb's house. What we found written in these old periodicals wasn't what we expected, but it was definitely a start.

The article had claimed that Itex, in the late 80's and early 90's, had been a huge company that had spent millions on genetic research, finding cures for several plant, animal, and human diseases. After a couple years of investigation, apparently it had been busted out for malpractice. The information was scanty, but they'd arrested most of the doctors working for them and closed all operations. Their headquarters was in New York, with several branches in California, Texas, Minnesota, and even as close by as Washington D.C.

It unnerved me that Mom could have worked with them (since we lived in Maryland), but I wasn't about to tell her we suspected anything. Obviously she hadn't been arrested so she couldn't have been involved, right? Maybe she didn't know any of it while she was working with them. At least I hoped so.

Fang had read everything skeptically, believing that the authorities were leaving details out. That much was obvious, but he said we should be looking for more information. He posted everything he discovered on the blog and was hoping for more leads to present themselves.

It was officially winter with Christmas being only a few days away. The shift was even more noticeable as the days grew shorter and the sun danced off the snow-covered country-side. It was like having crystals from heaven drop down, tickling your nose as it landed on your face. Sometime I believed that this was the most beautiful time of year. Of course, now you had to beware of flying snowballs in front of school.

Today was kind of big, not only because it was a day before the holiday break, but also because we wanted to make a final ditch effort to uncover the guards' secrets. Lately they'd been a little… not annoying, to say the least. Sometimes they only had one or two stationed here while the others were off on "important matters". None of the students had any ideas, including us, and that past few weeks of spying on them have gave us no new information at all. We only knew that they wanted someone, and that someone was in the school.

In the morning, before classes began, Fang and I had planted a recorder in the guards' office in hopes that it would pick up some interesting news. James wasn't with us since his parents pulled him out for an early vacation of skiing in Vermont. I wanted him to be here in case we discovered anything new, and the last time I talked to him he was pissed for missing this. But Fang and I were focusing on what we had to do with James or no James, so now it was all business.

Fang and I had been working on channeling both of our powers at the same time, by him keeping me invisible and me helping him walk through solid objects. That was how we'd gotten the recorder in earlier. We hid it underneath one of the tables, taped well enough that it wouldn't fall off but also so that it wouldn't make noise when we had to take it out.

We snuck out of eighth period gym since there were too many students the teachers could hardly keep track of attendance. Plus it was the one class we had together so it was kind of convenient. Slinking through the halls invisibly was fun and it made me feel like we were running off to do something naughty. Okay, it might be naughty, but it was for the sake of justice! We were tired of being bossed around.

Their office was on the third floor, one of the most inaccessible areas of the entire building. Any offices that weren't open to students had the hall doors locked so no one could bother the workers, but luckily we could get around that little hurdle quite easily. After running three flights of stairs we entered into the main offices, which housed everyone from the Board of Directors to the head of the cafeteria. The guards' office was in between a bunch of others, and when we'd been there before it looked more like a teacher's lounge than an office. I didn't understand these guys at all.

We leaned our ears against the door, hearing booming voices from the other side. I wanted to sigh, but I was afraid of being overheard. Fang and I looked at each other and shared a knowing glance. Everything was said in that moment, that this was it and we needed to hurry, but also to be quiet. It was imperative. Then I looked down at my hand in Fang's and tried holding back my blush. Ugh, stupid specific powers. We needed to have physical contact to transfer them and believe me, we did try without it. Fang seemed to notice my agitation, thinking it was from sneaking in, and squeezed my hand. Okay, now I blushed. Jeez, I hate teenage hormones.

It was game time. Carefully I stuck my hand through the door, feeling the unusual sensation of a solid object forming around _me_ as opposed to me forming to it. Soon I was through, with Fang stepping in right behind me. I looked around casually, trying to act calm and in control. About five guards were inside, lounging around on reclining chairs, sipping coffee and reading books. I wanted to gag mostly since it was the last thing I expected from them. I turned to Fang and he shrugged. Then he nodded toward the table, and I pulled us toward it.

To be honest, I'd never tried going through people, so I didn't know how hard it would be to grab the recorder. The large bodies were at all corners of the table, making accessing it much harder. We'd have to zigzag in and out, and then quickly scramble out of there _without touching anyone_. As long as we were cautious, it should be easy. I hoped.

We hunched over, low enough to tuck under the table and avoid the hulking legs, and practically crawled through the web of big, ugly guards. Creeping carefully under the table, we saw our recorder, its red light still flashing. At least the battery didn't go out. The question was if it heard any information that would be beneficial to us.

Fang and I tag-teamed, each taking the tape off of one side. It removed silently and Fang quickly stuffed it into his jean pocket. We looked at each other and smiled, but that wouldn't be the hard part. It would be getting out undetected. Well, if coming in hadn't been that hard, than how bad could it be getting out.

It was tough keeping ourselves linked, and getting out from underneath the table was like going through an army obstacle course. I slipped in between two abnormally large legs, looking up at the built men who they belonged to. One had a scar that ran the length of his jaw. It took a lot of effort not to cringe. Luckily none of them decided to move so we got out quickly.

Just when we were about to make our great escape (and I was already rejoicing inside), everything went spiraling downward.

We were going to walk through the door when it suddenly opened, and in walked my old pal Mr. Darnell. He looked just as handsome as ever, but his lips were taught with hardness. Fang and I paused, holding our breaths. "What's the report?" Mr. Darnell asked, his stern gaze cast over the five guards in the room.

I bit my lip to keep from screaming. Fang and I inched to the left so we could go through the wall, when Mr. Darnell took a few steps forward. He walked_ right toward our linked arms._ He walked through, and when I say that he didn't pass in-and-out of our bodies like nothing was there, but he felt us and walked in between our hands, breaking my hold on Fang.

"What the—?" He spun around the room rapidly, looking for anything to explain what had just happened. And there I sat on the floor, perfectly visible, separated from Fang who they still couldn't see. He stared at me with his eyes widened a half a centimeter.

Mr. Darnell's face was red with anger. "You again!" he erupted. "What are you doing here? When Mr. Reinhard get's here he'll expel your sorry ass!"

Let me tell you, I was so scared just then I nearly crapped my pants.

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**Okay... so the action will begin soon!! I promise, the story will really pick up in the next few chapters. Expect action, resentment, Fax, uh... more action. I have the next few chappies planned but after that I'm still a little lost. But just hang in there because the good stuff is coming!**

**I was going to rant about how I had no reviews and post an ultimatum, but today you guys kind of made up for it. I had 10 this chapter, and is it too much to request for 11 reviews before I post the next one? I don't think that's too much, is it? I'll post it either way. Madeline Cullen, you know, I should have remembered that. I read through the series again not too long ago. But I have the worst memory in the world so that could be why, too. :P Kina Kalamari, yes, patience is a virtue, but there will be some coming up... And I'm glad you like Vampire Kisses. You can read my VK fanfic once you've finished the fifth one. :P Okay, you don't have to if you don't want to. Mo, yeah, i like that too. I think I was hungry for one when I wrote that. I hadn't had the Pull-N-peels for a long time! **

**So as promised, I'm giving you guys a little sneak at the summary for the second book. "Anything But Easy" as a title is still up in the air, but I'm starting to get attached to it. :P But anyway, here you go: "**As if growing up wasn't hard enough, Max comes face-to-face with more challenges. Friends and foes become hard to separate, and as powers and intentions are revealed, her life flips upside down." **Like I said, that would be part of the description once the story comes out. I know it doesn't give away too much detail, but it's better that way. I can't tell you what goes on in this story! :D Well I could, but that would ruin everything I've set up. Okay, another thing to let everything know. My next story I have planned, "Deception", will be rated M, and I really need a qualified beta who I can work really closely with or someone to co-author it with me. It's a spin off of a favorite cliche of mine and I think it will be very interesting. If you want to do it, or know someone who can help, I'd very much appreciate it!**

**Review please!**


	36. Why Aren't You Happy?

**Chapter 34 – Why Aren't You Happy?**

My self-defense kicked in, despite my fear, and I felt the adrenaline racing through me. I jumped to my feet, switching my gaze back and forth from Mr. Darnell and the now-rising guards. They were swarming around me, enclosing me in a circle. Part of me should have been afraid, but another part was just freaking annoyed.

Mr. Darnell's face was contorted into a grimace, reminding me of a dog growling. I even swore I heard some kind of unique, inhuman rumble release from his throat. It was suddenly making him very unattractive.

Looking around, I realized I didn't have any route of escape. They were slowly taking away any openings, and I wasn't sure if I could go through them. (When I mentioned I hadn't tried walking through people, I really hadn't _tried_. That one time with the sexist jock had been a total fluke, like a self-defense mechanism). Well, if that was the case, I was seriously in danger and could use a handy-dandy boost to my powers right about now!

And the other problem with this little situation was that I had no idea where Fang was. When we had separated, I'd lost track of where he was. He could have fled for all I knew.

"Um… isn't this harassment?" I asked, trying to find some way of getting out of here. "Haven't you heard of personal space? I have a bubble that if someone pops I start hyperventilating."

"How'd you get in?" Mr. Darnell barked, visibly shaking with rage.

"Um, I'm sort of lost. You know, being a freshman and all."

My humor only made him angrier. "Don't play stupid with me. I know what you were doing. You honestly can't think that I'm that ignorant."

"Actually, I can and I do because I really have no idea what you're talking about." I peeked through the tiny spaces in between hulking guards, searching for any trace of Fang. _Fang, Fang, come out wherever you are! You are in deep trouble if you ran away!_

I felt a blaring pain blaze across my face, then fizzle into a dull ache. Only afterwards did I realize that he'd slapped me. I fixed my gaze back on him, feeling hatred and rage boiling deep within. He never did sit well with me, the few times I'd seen him. It was obvious that he wasn't just a pretty face, even though I still wasn't completely sure why he was here.

Immediately after I'd figured out that he'd slapped me, all hell broke lose. And I didn't cause it.

Mr. Darnell was pulled backwards and thrown to the ground. Then his face moved back and forth, apparently on its own, with loud smacks and several grunts. I wasn't slow. Fang had come to my rescue… again. I was officially pissed with him too, even if I was kind of thankful.

The guards, watching their leader before them with doubt coloring their features, seemed to understand what was happening. They turned their faces — some ugly, some unbelievably beautiful — to me and scowled. "Get her," one ordered, and that's when they all came after me.

Okay, I may be freakishly strong for a fourteen-year-old girl, and I wasn't exactly the best at math, but five large, well-trained fighters against a lanky kid like me really didn't look good from my point of view. Two options ran through my mind: _run or run like a bat out of hell._ I chose the second, seeing as it sounded like the more desperate of the two.

"Fang! C'mon!" I shouted as I made a straightaway for the door. As I was running, I felt something tug on my shirt. My first response was to thrash uncontrollably, until I peeked over my shoulder and didn't see anyone, so I knew it was Fang. We ran through their office and out into the hallway. Fang's invisibility power was in full affect, as I could tell by the air shimmering around my skin. Some teachers and workers in the other offices had heard the commotion and were standing in the hallway, looking at what the cause had been. We could hear their confused murmurs as they couldn't see anything, and then their surprised cries when the guards darted out of their office.

We bolted down the stairs, through the now-filling halls as the dismissal bell sounded. No one could see us, but they could see the guards chasing after something. Some kids snickered, thinking that they'd finally lost their minds, while others were terrified that the guards were coming after them. Either way, I wanted to tell those kids that they were lucky.

Fang switched his grip from my shirt to my hand like before, and I was too panicked to be embarrassed or confused or any other petty emotion. All I could think about was getting away. Which of course was very hard when you had to dodge bodies and you had guards with heat-sensory glasses.

I noticed an empty room by the main offices on the first floor, and I tugged Fang in that direction. Now, I know you were thinking that this was a stupid move, right? Well, there were two reasons for it. One, I knew for a fact that if we were quick enough we could run through the walls and straight outside. The second was that I was quite familiar with this room since it was directly beside the principal's office. Ha, who said I stupid?

We were heading straight for the wall when Fang suddenly decided to drop a bomb on me. "Max, our backpacks are inside. We can't leave without them."

"Forget the homework!" I managed in between pants. "Who knows what they'll do to us if we're caught."

"Your house key is in it and they won't let the bus leave if we get in it."

Shit. I hated it when he had thought logically, even when it seemed like we should be running to the ends of the earth. Then again, we were on a school campus. What was the worse they could do to us? They couldn't physically torture us and keep us against our will.

"You're right," I admitted reluctantly. "Is yours in your locker?" He nodded and I sighed. "Okay, we should turn around."

And of course, since it was me we were talking about, as soon as we started heading back to the main hallway the door of the empty office room boomed open. The guards, and a recently bruised-up Mr. Darnell, entered the room. I wanted to slap Fang a high five — and also smack him across the head for stepping in — for beating up our good 'ol "member of the Board of Directors".

Yeah, Board of Directors my ass.

"Little girl," he nearly purred, making me want to puke, "you might be innocent in this whole thing. I know you're here. You're messing with the wrong crowd, and you might get hurt otherwise. Please help us get your friend."

Ugh, now he wanted me to turn against Fang? What an idiot. Then his words hit me. _You're messing with the wrong crowd… you could be innocent._ Did they not know that I had powers? Did they think everything was Fang's doing? Was it —?

Oh. My. God.

Everything was clear just then.

They were here for Fang.

I looked sideways at him. He didn't seem worried, just… calm. But that was Fang for you; if you dangled him over a cliff by his ankle he'd still be impassive. At least on the outside. From the look in his dark eyes, I knew that he knew, and that he'd known for a long time. If I wasn't so stressed right now I would have reevaluated that sentence to see if it actually made sense.

"You shouldn't have brought her into this," Mr. Darnell went on, directing this toward Fang. "You should be kept a secret, and you wouldn't want us hurting your little girlfriend because she knew about your… unique talents."

Why did everyone think we were dating? I was extremely pissed now.

I charged forward, letting go of Fang's hand, getting up in Mr. Darnell's face as best as I could. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but if you think that he's the only—" My sentence was cut off as a hand clasped over mine. I could smell the scent of Fang, and I felt stupid for almost blowing our cover. He wanted me to keep my powers secret. He was protecting me.

Jesus I was going to kill him!

"She isn't involved," he said softly, sending me a warning glance, telling me to keep my mouth shut. "Let her go."

"You see, I can't." Mr. Darnell didn't sound sorry at all. In fact, he sounded too eager. "She knows too much, and you have no choice in the matter. Boy, will the Director be happy to know when we've finally capture _you._"

The guards pounced on us like cobras, restraining my hands behind my back. Only two were on me, but three attacked Fang, pinning him to the ground. I heard his breath release as their immense weight dropped on his back. I felt my eyes prick with tears. (And that strange event still seemed irrational to me). Why couldn't they leave him alone?

"Ah, finally," Mr. Darnell sighed. He laughed, but a new voice totally caught everyone off guard.

"What the hell is going on?" The angry voice belonged to none other than Mr. Reinhard. He was standing in the open doorway, his brows pointed in a 'V' over his eyes. A vein was showing on his bald head. He did _not_ look happy.

"Uh, you see, these kids broke into—" Mr. Darnell began, but was cut off by the principal's sharp voice.

"I don't care what they did! You have no right to physically attack students. I made my boundaries very clear when we agreed on this deal, Mr. Darnell, and you know I'm extremely fed up with your complete disrespect for our rules around this school. You've been parading around, and I've got nothing but complaints from the parents for the past three months."

"But it isn't what it looks like!"

I was totally entranced by this scene that was taking place. It was like watching a Jerry Springer; you know it's completely wrong and yet you find it engrossing. I was aware of the guards grip loosening, glad that my wrists could allow blood to flow into my hands again.

"That's not the point. The point is that you're abusing your rights, and, overall, you completely lied about your intentions. You've done nothing to this school except cause chaos. I have no choice but to dismiss you and all your 'guards' from our property."

My jaw dropped. This was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me in high school so far. I couldn't believe that Mr. Reinhard wasn't involved with Mr. Darnell, and that he was completely on our side. It made me respect him a little more.

"Now let these kids go; they have to get home." Begrudgingly they all obliged, and the three guards rose off of Fang's back. He jumped to his feet immediately, and I could see the cringe in his eyes as he flexed his muscles. I grabbed his arm and ushered him out of the room, nodding in approval to Mr. Reinhard. He smiled in acknowledgement then turned his attention back to the guards, giving them a good verbal beating.

A crowd of students were surrounding the hallway, checking out the scene that was happening. They'd let us through, but not without us hearing a bunch of questions that we weren't in the mood to answer. I was hardly listening anyway. We made it back to our lockers which luckily were close by and grabbed our things quickly and silently. As we made our way out of the building and to the bus, I looked at Fang and grinned. I forgot for a moment that I was mad at him for protecting me.

"Isn't this awesome? The guards are finally getting taken from the school! This is momentous!" I didn't see any expression of joy on Fang and, if anything, I thought his face sunk a bit. "What's up with you? Why aren't you happy?"

He shot me a terse look. "Are you that dense, Max? This isn't good. You know they want me, and if they want it bad enough they'll stalk us all the way back to your place. Your family could be in danger because we were stupid enough to let them catch us."

My breath caught in my throat. Holy crap, he was right!

So you know how tense we were the next few days at home.

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**I need to keep this short. I have some summer work for school I need to finish, so if I don't update too frequently for the next couple weeks I'm busy working on that. I might also have pink eye. Ew. I have to get that checked tomorrow.**

**Thank you Iggy4ever for the reviews! I love a lot of them!! You guys rock for giving me 14 reviews last chapter. I'd love for that to continue. As for betas, I'll let you know what I'm thinking in the next few weeks or so. Thanks to Anara Celebvilya for pointing out my mistake, and I hope I made it somehow seem to fit in. Um, yeah, and the 400th reviewer will get... uh, I don't know you can pick this time.**

**Do the poll. And review!!**


	37. Christmas Surprises

**Chapter 35 – Christmas Surprises**

It was hard to imagine a time in my life when I'd actually be tense and nervous over the holiday break. I mean, two weeks away from school, Christmas presents, and no homework. What's not to love? And pretty much the pros havegone in the same order as above.

Pro 1: No school! And the best part of that was when I go back there'll be no guards, no Mr. Darnell, and no people within the halls that would want to kill us… as far as I knew.

Pro 2: Christmas this year was awesome! Usually all my gifts revolved around my horse or new riding gear, but this year I got this sleek, silver digital camera. I could see myself using it at shows and around the farm in general. But what made Christmas that much more special was when we gave Fang his own laptop so he wouldn't have to compete with Ella for our computer, and also for him to update his blog more frequently. Let me tell you, he was so surprised that he was speechless. (Yeah, that was the punch line. I know I'm a little off today).

Pro 3: Normally I'd have nothing to do over said break with the exception of farm work, and as far as I knew I had no homework to finish, reports to write, books to read. It _should_ have been a very relaxing break, right?

Somehow I manage making vacation into a tense, nerve-racking, apocalyptic event.

I really surprise myself sometimes.

Mom and Ella didn't really understand why Fang and I were always on guard, staying in a room with the other two members of the home at all times. I was doubtful that the guards were going to attack us, but Fang kept insisting that we should always be prepared. It had been several days since we chased them out of school and nothing had happened so far. The smug, know-it-all part of me was about ready to do a victory dance in Fang's face — and let me tell you, it's not a pretty sight — because if they were so hungry for revenge they would have struck by now.

However, there was one thing that made this particular night stand out in comparison to other bad times I've had before: Mom was asked out on a date by Justin Truman, her old colleague I met at her vet's office.

Not only didn't I want her to go out, since I didn't really trust the guy, but I was worried sick that something might happen to her, despite believing that we were safe from the guards' wrath. I had a gut feeling that today was going to be bad, and the Voice didn't help by sending me images, coordinates, calculations, and some other things I couldn't quite decipher while I was trying to sleep. So on top of being worried sick, I was also sleep deprived.

I was sitting in the living room, waiting for Mom to come out so I could give her a nice little talking to, when a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Max."

I turned around to see Fang standing right behind the sofa, leaning over so his face was close to mine. "What do you want?" I asked, willing myself to keep from turning my head away.

He threw an object on the cushion and it took me a second to realize what it was. The recorder. "I listened to it last night," he said as he maneuvered around the couch to sit on the other end from me. "Plugged it into my new laptop." He smirked, clearly liking his new toy. "Most of the feedback was interfered with by the sounds of chairs moving and objects banging against the table, but when I slowed it down I could make out some details."

"Like what?" I was intrigued. We hadn't listened to it at first because we were still concerned about an attack, but I think the curiosity was eating at him to hear what we had found. If i would have had the recorder with me I would have listened to it the day we got home.

"I think it was Mr. Darnell talking to someone he addressed at 'the Director'. They were tracking someone whose codename was 2075."

"You think that's you?" He nodded, and I sat back, inhaling deeply. It was hard to take in that someone wanted Fang, but what I didn't understand was why they didn't want me or James. Are we not important enough? They didn't know I had powers, so they probably didn't know about him either. "What else did he say?"

"Just that they were 'close', whatever that's supposed to mean, and that they were hoping to begin some operation shortly."

"That's all so cryptic. Even when they have their own room to be secretive they still air on the side of caution."

"I think they suspected someone was watching. It _is_ a small school and secrets aren't easy to keep."

I laughed but stopped as soon as Mom came out of the hallway. She was wearing a cashmere sweater, flowing knee-length skirt, and fountain-like earrings. I had to say she looked gorgeous, which made me wonder why she was going through all the trouble of looking nice. "You look good," I said softly, trying to hide my irritation.

"Thanks honey."

Ella came bounding down the steps and whistled at the sight of Mom. "Wow, what are you all dressed up for?" she wondered. I grimaced; I never told Ella about Justin. Frankly, I really didn't know why Mom was seeing him to begin with. Were they dating? Just catching up? Planning some terroristic, psychotic plot that was going to take over the world through Itex? I just didn't know and I didn't want to worry Ella over nothing.

"I'm seeing an old friend," Mom said, grabbing her coat from a hanger by the door. "I'll be back at around ten, so don't throw any wild parties, alright?"

"Okay," the three of us said in unison.

"Oh, well, there goes my plan," Fang muttered under his breath. I chuckled.

"Call if you need anything. I left you some money if you want to order a pizza. The number's marked in the phone book as you know, Max. I expect change, but don't forget to tip the delivery man."

I nodded, not really listening to her. Fang and I shared a knowing glance; we didn't want anything to happen to my mom while she was away. Maybe we could tell her one of us was sick and she'd come home immediately, but I didn't want to be rude either. I was torn between being a good daughter (ha!) and doing whatever I could to keep her safe.

"Behave, love you," she said as she left through the door. I bounded up from the sofa and watched her car pass out from the driveway safely before I went back to Ella and Fang with a sigh.

"Freedom!" Ella screeched. "I'll go throw on some music." She ran upstairs, turned on some mainstream rock song, and had the music blaring from the foyer.

I rolled my eyes and slumped back on the sofa.

"Worried about your mom?" Even though it was addressed like a question Fang already knew the answer to that.

"I just had this feeling all day that something bad was gonna happen, and I don't want it to happen to her. It'll be worse that we can do nothing about it."

He nodded. "I think she'll be fine as long as she stays in public areas."

"Yeah, I guess so." I sighed again and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to block out the music from upstairs.

"I'll order pizza," Fang offered, rising from the sofa and slinking off silently into the kitchen. I listened to him talking over the phone to the shop as Ella descended the steps again, singing "_I'll keep you my dirty little secret. Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret."_

"Ugh, how can you listen to a song about lying and deception," I complained, pulling my eyes open to glare at her.

"Don't be a hater since you don't like mainstream music. There's a reason that it's popular."

"Yeah, yeah, the music, not the _lyrics_. I swear if half the people who listened to that crap actually read the words they'd be appalled by it."

"Uh, huh, and you'd think that some of those country stars would be Emo by the depressing lyrics they right. Jeez, who cares if your girlfriend left you? Get over it! You're rich and famous; a new one will pop up eventually."

I rolled my eyes, but arguing half-heartedly like this was fun.

"Pizza will be here in twenty minutes," Fang said, rejoining us in the living room. We all sat around the TV and watched an episode of "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" If you were to ask me that question right now I'd say tell you flat out that I am most definitely not smarter than a fifth grader. I don't even remember learning some of this stuff in elementary school!

"What is the digit in the hundredths position for the number 341.927?" Jeff Foxworthy, the host, asked a blond newscaster, the contestant. She'd been struggling through several rounds of questions which were pretty basic, but once you stopped learning about them it was hard remembering, especially with her occupation.

"Um… well, I was thinking maybe three…" she guessed, talking her thought process aloud.

"Jeez, how stupid can people be?" I muttered, taking a swig of coke.

"Yeah, everyone knows it's the number two," Ella said. "She doesn't even have a save left if she puts in the wrong answer, which it looks like she's about to do."

The bell rang and I felt my stomach growl in delight. It took them long enough. I got up, grabbed a twenty off the counter, and headed for the door. The delicious taste of melted cheese was already dancing on my tongue as I licked my lips. Yeah, that just gives you an idea about how hungry I was.

I opened the door and greeted the deliverer, until I realized that the man was holding no pizza box. He was tall, lean, and extremely handsome, and I felt my all my ties to reality cut off just then.

"Delivery?" he growled with a big grin that suddenly morphed from perfect white teeth into large, ugly, yellow incisors. His eyes turned a bright gold and stared at me… well, hungrily. My eyes widened in shock.

"Guys, go upstairs now!" I ordered, and just as Fang saw who was standing there, a loud crashing sound exploded from our kitchen. Ella screamed.

As I was about to run to her I felt fuzzy, calloused hands grab mine and yank me out of the way. "Go upstairs." This time Fang took my message, and I was pretty angry at him for stealing my mojo. I said it first. Ella nodded and darted to her room as two more ugly, fury men poured in from the kitchen.

I can't even describe to you what I was feeling right now. The obvious ones were shock, fear, confusion, disappointment — I mean, I thought I was actually going to be right about this. But the thing that surprised me the most was the urge to fight, how it seemed like an instinct to fend off these attackers. At school it had been different — we were on unknown territory, so the first response is flight. This was my home, and I was seeing red.

These had to be the wolf-men Fang was talking about before. I even felt like I'd seen them before, in a dream or another lifetime. Man, were they gross.

I scrambled to my feet and jumped on the one who'd come in through the front door. It caught him off guard and he went sprawling to the floor with me on top of him. I was surprised by my own strength. Maybe it was adrenaline — I'd heard stories of people who'd been able to lift cars off of an adrenaline rush, and no I'm not just talking about _Twilight_. Continuing with the theme, I lifted the furry head and pounded it against the floor several times. He growled and threw me off his shoulder like a ragdoll. I landed on my back, feeling the immediate pain from impact, but got back up quickly.

I could hear Fang behind me wrapped up in his own battle. I didn't want to check on him and turn my back to the other one. It was like being on auto-pilot; I wasn't particularly aware of everything that was happening, but I was just going with the flow. All that farm work finally paid off, eh?

_That's right, Max, go with the flow._

_Ah, Voice. It's been a while. Were you visiting relatives for the holidays?_ I had no idea how I was managing sarcastic remarks while dodging fast, furry fists.

_This is hardly the time for jokes. Stay focused or else._

_Or else what? Would it kill you to be more specific?_ I yelped (an embarrassing habit I was trying to break) as a leg came at my head and I ducked, only to hear it make contact with a lamp that clattered to the floor in broken pieces. Oh, god, Mom was going to flip when she got home.

There was no reply from the Voice, not that I expected one really. Oh well, I was playing a little game I liked to call Max-kwon-do, which basically said that anything goes in fighting. I kicked out at the wolf's groin and he howled in pain. Then I stabbed two fingers into its eyes. He doubled over, one hand clutching down low and another across his face. I didn't think he'd be getting up for a while.

I ran over to Fang who was getting swiped at left and right by two wolves. He was bleeding from his mouth and had his shirt sliced on the side. I charged from behind, elbowing a muscular abdomen, which let me tell you, it freaking hurt. I cursed under my breath and jumped back as a clawed hand tried raking me.

Fang and I were pressed back-to-back, breathing hard, as the two wolves approached. My fists were clenched, awaiting the strike, while the back of my mind wondered if Ella was okay upstairs. Suddenly the two stopped as a hum filled the air. Growling, the one reached into a ripped pant pocket and pulled out a cell phone. I knew Fang was just as confused as I was, but we were being cautious; it could be a trap. He placed the phone back and looked at his cohorts.

"Striker wants us back," he rumbled. "They know where he is and it's good enough." The two, and one double-over wolf, ran out through the back door, disappearing into the night. Fang and I followed, looking for any trace of them, but they were completely gone. We fumbled back inside, and I was suddenly feeling the soreness from our fight.

"We should call my mom," I said as I looked at the glass coating the floor.

Fang nodded, looking very pale and shaken. I had never seen him like this, even that time when he came home injured from the first encounter. The air between us was tense. There was something he wanted to say but was holding it in.

"What's going on?" I sighed, just wanting to get this over with.

I looked into his black eyes, seeing the deepness, the strange spark that was glittering underneath. But it wasn't the same light as when he'd smile at me, but it seemed desperate, almost crazed.

Then his words struck a nail through my heart.

"Max, I need to leave. _Right now._"

* * *

**Sorry for the cliffie, but I had to end or else this chapter would get too long. This is draft 2, and I was much more pleased with this one than the first. And I don't claim to be a country/mainstream expert, so I was going off of stereotypes I know from them. Don't mean to offend anyone. Um.. yeah, next time I update I hope it'll be for Ghost of Me. I really neglect that story.**

**Since I posted the last chapter I have had 45 reviews (18 for last chapter). You guys rock!! :D I hope everyone liked this despite the suckish ending. Oh, and the best is yet to come (you can trust me on that). As far as betas/co-authors go, I'll let you know next week once school starts. I'll have tons of time to think during the first week of school... haha. I believe XDHeATheRox was reviewer number 400, so you can choose what you want to celebrate with. Um, I keep forgetting to look back and see who nicknamed me 'life biter', but let me tell you I love it! So kuddos to whoever came up with it! **

**This week is hectic so I definitely won't be updating too much. And since I'm just that stupid, I keep thinking Labor Day weekend is next weekend as opposed to two weeks from now, so actually I'll be in New York this upcoming Sunday and Monday. I hope the hotel has internet. :P**

**REVIEW PLEASE!!!**


	38. Resentment

**Chapter 36 – Resentment **

I couldn't explain how I was feeling as my unsteady fingers dialed Mom's phone number. My breath hadn't slowed since the attack and I was shaking all over. I was tense, worried, and mostly frightened. The fear was derived from the unknown. Would we be attacked again? Was Mom okay? How would she react when she got home? And most importantly, was Fang okay? Thinking of that last question was like having a snake constrict painfully on my heart.

You all know how I'm a wordy person, and yet after Fang had told me that he was leaving... I was at a loss for them all of a sudden. I tried speaking, playing out reasonable arguments with him in my mind before shaking his body mercilessly until he relented. Yet when I went to say them the words stuck in my throat. It was painful. Maybe I was going through shock. I could hardly move as I watched him disappear — and when I say that, I meant he turned invisible and ran off. I didn't know which direction he went, couldn't try following him. Fear froze me in place.

I did manage to move several minutes later, only because rationality and sheer determination burned out the terror. I wanted to make sure Mom was okay and I also knew I had to come clean. She would support me through anything, as strange and impossible as it seemed.

"Hello?" Mom asked as she answered her phone.

"Mom," I breathed, willing my voice to be strong. "Mom, I need you to come home right now."

She heard the note of panic in my voice. "Oh, Max, what's wrong?" She was trying to be calm but I could sense her anxiety.

I pursed my lips and looked around. What could I tell her over the phone? _Wolf-men attacked us, destroyed our furniture, and, oh yeah, they caused Fang to run off, too. _Maybe I shouldn't be that blunt. "Something bad happened," I said. "Fang ran away." I figured that was the right amount of surprise to make her race back.

"Oh, my God! I'll be right there in ten minutes!" The phone clicked off.

Ella raced down the stairs as I hung up the phone. She surveyed the damage with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Max, are you okay?" she asked in a terrified voice. I carefully maneuvered over the broken glass, into the living room, to hug her. Her arms tightened around my back and my breath emptied in a hiss. It was still tender.

"I'm fine," I rasped. "Help me clean up some of this. Mom will be home soon."

She pulled out a dustpan and broom from a kitchen closet. We dejectedly started sweeping up the debris. It wasn't long before she asked two inevitable questions. "Wh-what were those things that broke in? And where's Fang?"

"I don't know," I whispered, answering both questions with three words. I couldn't explain the hallow feeling forming from deep within. It was like part of me was ripped in half.

We were silent until the sound of tire tracks rolled against the driveway. Mom entered quickly, running over to the two of us. Then she noticed the broken windows and gasped. "Max, Ella, what happened? Is everyone okay? Did something happen that made Fang leave?"

Ella bit her lip, realizing why I avoided her questions. I sighed. "We ordered pizza, only the person who came wasn't the delivery guy. He, uh, had other people who broke in through the kitchen windows."

Mom's eyes widened the whole time I talked. I knew I had to tell her everything, but I couldn't make myself just yet. "Were they robbers?" she asked, worried.

I shook my head. "They weren't really _people_… actually, they were sort of… wolf-men." I looked away, afraid of her reaction.

There was a pause before she pulled me into a big hug. She murmured thanks into my hair and kissed the top of my head. Okay, now I was confused. Why was she thankful? Her house got wrecked, we were attacked by freaking _wolf-men_, and Fang _ran away_. This is hardly the time to be celebrating unless you're a fan of chaos and unhappy endings. We should be calling the police or something. You know, because they deal with stuff like this all the time. _Right._

I pulled back. "Mom, why are you acting like that? Fang ran away because of them." A nauseous wave churned through my stomach.

She paused again, her warm brown eyes loving and full of tears. She looked confused. "Wait, Fang ran away _because_ of them?"

"They _wanted_ him, Mom. They've been after him at school, outside of school. Everywhere. Why are you so calm about this? We need to look for him! Inform the FBI or Bounty Hunters or Superman or someone."

"You don't understand," she said slowly, like she was trying to convince herself. "I thought they'd be coming to take you."

There was a painful silence through the air. Mom was puzzled by my statement almost as much as Ella and I were confused by hers. What did she mean they'd come to take _me?_ How did she know what they wanted anyway?

One word came to me just then. I wasn't sure if my subconscious thought of it or if the Voice supplied it. But it stuck out like a blinking sign.

Itex.

Oh, say it isn't so.

"What are you talking about?" I asked dangerously slow.

Mom sighed, looking at the ground before turning her eyes back to mine. "You should sit down." She tried ushering me towards the living room but I shook out of her grasp.

"Tell me _now_." I was on the verge of hysterics. Adrenaline was flowing through my veins all over again. I couldn't explain this behavior either, but I was suddenly very wary and very guarded.

She sighed again. "I _think_ I know what it was that came here." My jaw was threatening to drop but I kept it firmly in place. "They're called Erasers, and they are… experiments, made by scientists, used to attack and kill. Hunters, basically."

The tension in the room was tangible. I was starting to fit the pieces together while Ella was out in the dark. I felt bad for her; she had no idea what was going on while I, on the other hand, was feeling the resentment weigh heavily on my shoulders.

"Go on," I commanded.

"Don't use that tone with me—"

"Mom, I have to know!" I nearly shouted. Taking a deep breath, I tried talking calmly. "Fang ran away because of them, and we both admitted that we felt like we'd seen them before. If someone doesn't start answering questions soon I'll… I'll chase them down myself."

She inhaled sharply. "I guess I can't keep it from you any longer. It was inevitable, anyway."

I was on edge again. "What was inevitable?"

"You," she said simply. "Max, you were always extraordinary, but I tried to keep you away from that life. It was your destiny, and maybe it was wrong of me to make you normal."

"You sound just like Jeb," I accused. "Why does everyone keep talking about _my _destiny? I don't have a destiny! That only happens in movies and books. I'm a normal teenage girl, for crying out loud! There isn't anything special about me!" I wasn't sure how the walking-through-walls thing fit into this whole picture, but maybe I imagined it. This could all be one huge nightmare that was crashing down in one dramatic reveal scene.

"You aren't normal." Her voice was sad. "You never were. Max, there are people out there who are the sickest kinds of humans you could imagine. They make murderers look like amateurs. They've dabbled in the experimentation field; they take humans and run tests on them like lab rats. Try to perfect our senses, make us different. Only recently did they discover the ability of combining human DNA with other sources, and they've gone through hundreds, maybe even, _thousands_ of lives to perfect the technique."

"Why are you telling me this?" I was stunned. What else was my mom hiding? Was this what they did at Itex? Was _that_ why they had been closed down?

"I'm telling you this because… you were supposed to be a part of the torture until myself and a team of experts perfected you. You're a success beyond our beliefs, and you have to know because experimentation is still going on. You have to _stop_ it, Max. It's what you were made for. That is who the Erasers work for. They want to keep you from completing that task."

"What about me?" Ella asked, her voice shaking. Tear streaks coated her cheeks.

Mom shook her head. "I didn't want you part of that life. I didn't want Max to be, either, but it was too late to change anything."

I couldn't tell if Ella was relieved or envious.

I was pissed.

"Well what about Fang? How does he fit into it?" The past hour had been pure horror. Everything I cared about was completely flipped upside down. My mom was hiding a secret past from me, Fang was gone, and despite knowing this already, I was different. But not in the way I'd always thought. Oh, God, how could my mom be a part of that? It's inhuman and just… wrong. Why would she make me to stop it? Doesn't that contribute to the cruelty? That's hypocritical.

"What about Fang?" It was like she didn't know what I was talking about.

"Well, it's not just me," I stated. "Fang's different, too. That's why he left, because they were after him."

"Jeb…" she mumbled under her breath. "Honestly, honey, I knew nothing about Fang. I don't know why they wanted him instead of you. I'm just so glad you're okay."

Wait… Something Fang had did before hit me just then. Earlier, when we were in the empty room at school, when he'd prevented me from revealing my powers. He shot me a look that told me to shut up because he didn't want the guards to find out. I didn't understand at the time, but now I did. With a sick, twisted realization, I knew why he did it. He was protecting me from that fate. He _knew,_ somehow. Even when I was unaware of it he was protecting me. Part of me wanted to drive a pitchfork at him.

Another part was oddly grateful. I don't know what was wrong with me.

Ice shards pierced my blood. I stared at my mom with hardened eyes. "Why do you only care about me?" I asked. "Fang is out there, somewhere. He could be _dead_! He's family, Mom. Why aren't you more concerned for him?"

She didn't have an answer at first. She only reached for me, her eyes pleading. "Max," she whispered, taking a step forward.

I was beyond reason, beyond sanity. All I wanted was to get away. My mom had been a part of malicious human experiments, had made _me_ a freak, and then expected me to stick around while Fang was being ripped apart like a T-bone.

"I'm going to look for Fang," I told her, heading for the back door.

"No, you're not." Her voice was firm but also desperate. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

I scowled fiercely. "You may not care about him, but I do. I can't let anything bad happen to him. And besides, I'm _special_," my voice was dripping with acid, "so I can take care of myself."

I charged out the back door, unsure of what my actions had done to my mom and half-sister, but I didn't really care at the moment. I was so hurt and frustrated and frightened, full of resentment toward my whole life. Everything was a lie, basically. However, I knew there was one person I could count on for all that I was feeling. The one person I could confide to. That was the one person who was gone.

Fang.

* * *

**I said in Ghost of Me that I was taking the week off... but I couldn't. You see, partly from my stupidity and partly an evil DMV instructor (who was a total jerk), I didn't get my license today. However, I'm not completely crushed just yet, because I know for a fact that anger translates into the best writing. So here you go! I'm really excited for what's going to happen next chapter and I hope it doesn't disappoint. Um, I doubt there'll be any updates tomorrow, but hopefully before Sunday.**

**14 reviews for last chapter... and I believe 20 since last chapter was posted, so you guys are awesome again! Well, you always have been, but you know what I mean. :P Everyone's review made me smile. :D Glad you liked last chapter, hopefully this one was good, and again, I'm freaking excited for next chapter!**

**Um... some quick notes. New two-shot is up, so please read! New chapter of Ghost of Me is up, too. Check out my youtube page, one video is up and a new one may be added as soon as Friday with an announcement in it. It might be from me and my friends, so please visit and comment.**

**Review please!!**


	39. Author's Note 3

**Author's Note 3: Ak! I'm Sorry!**

I promise this is the last author's note before this story ends.

I feel really bad that I haven't posted anything for any story in a while, but you see the past week has been crazy. I got sick on my birthday, which I still am sick, and so far in the first three days of school I average about an hour or two worth of homework (which is mostly for Accounting). So with that, adding the last finishing touches on my summer assignments, and hockey, I've had no time to write. I did start the next chapter and I don't like what I have so far. This is gonna be a good one (I hope) so I want to get it right. I don't want to put something crappy out and expect everyone to like it.

Um… I'm approaching 500 reviews right now so I'm totally stoked. If I get it with this AN I'd be really happy! Haha, I doubt that, but anyway I promise to put something out this weekend. I was going to make a video but I didn't have time for that either. New York was AWESOME and Wicked was amazing too. I definitely recommend it, so you know, check the schedule for the U.S. Tour for all you Americans.

Just to close, check out "Winning Bid"! I'm really excited that I got 12 reviews for it so far. If you haven't read it, please do!

--biteoutoflife--


	40. Revalations

**Chapter 37 - Revelations**

So normally after a huge, dramatic take-off scene like the one I had just taken part in would be the scene where said person would storm away in suit of her goal without looking back. But with this being me, and never being prepared as I should be, my initial thoughts from the moment I stepped outside were, _Jeez, its freezing! _In my total desire to find Fang and get away from my mom I completely forgot that it was _freaking thirty degrees outside _at the end of December. I'm totally noted for my genius in case you hadn't been paying attention the first 36 chapters of this story.

Shivering the entire way I crunched through the thin layer of snow that coated the backyard. At least I was wearing shoes, but even then those weren't appropriate for this weather. Whenever I return I'd probably have to be treated for frostbite.

I passed by the Pen and the barn, comforted that there were grunts and murmurs of animals instead of chaos caused by Erasers wanting a midnight snack. My thoughts were panicked and determined, on a one-track mission of finding Fang. I had no clue where he could have ventured through, no means of deciding which way he went. Before he left the house he had become invisible, at least I thought he left. Could you imagine the irony if he was hiding in our home? Oh, God, that would totally suck.

The first thing that could help me was turning on some floodlights. Why? Because maybe Mr. Invisible left some footprints in the snow. I guess that could be one flaw in the whole incognito plan, now wouldn't it? We kept some automatic lights along the barn for nighttime for if there was ever a time we had to attend to the animals in the dark. It came in handy during those times but was horrible if a squirrel tripped the alarms or something, in which case the lights could be bright enough to wake you up in the middle of the night if your room faced the backyard.

I ran along the side of the barn, causing the lights to pour into the white ground. At first it was blinding; I had to blink a few times as my eyes adjusted. Once I could see properly I scanned the snow, gauging for anything that could help. My footprints led from the back door to here, while I saw some unusually large ones creep from around my home up to the same spot. They were too large to be Fang's so I assumed they were from the Erasers. There were some that traveled from the home out to the forest.

I groaned. Of course this was another case where I wanted to go back inside and grab a flashlight… and a coat, and maybe some hot chocolate. If I went back, though, there was no way Mom would let me leave again. She'd just call the police and tell them to look for a missing kid. Fang would be just like all those other kids that had disappeared recently. His photo would be around, posted in the newspaper and on the Internet, but nothing would ever show up. Nothing had for years for the other parents. Not to mention that he was invisible, so they'd have an even harder time finding him.

Calculating the layout of my home I didn't think I could walk through the walls without someone seeing me. Mom kept everything in the kitchen and no doubt she was still in there watching me. I had to do this alone, with no leads, while opening myself up to hypothermia.

I followed the footprints out to the forest. The lights would only peer a little into the dead twigs, and they would go off soon anyway. I was basically blind, feeling my way through the small path that was still relatively clear. Snapping branches, scattering wildlife, and cracking snow were the only sounds I could hear besides my heavy breath, which puffed in front of me like smoke. That was the only thing I could see in this light. Yet I knew I wasn't completely hopeless yet.

I wasn't sure why, but I felt a force guide me, although I knew the path well. It was like a sixth sense, pulling me through the woods. My arms were held in front of me in case I ran into a tree or something, but so far I managed to find my way without a hitch.

My hand finally touched something, and when my fingers wrapped around it I immediately recognized the object with a frown. The wood was smooth and cylindrical, wobbling under my touch. I steadied it, not sure what I was going to do next. I still didn't know where Fang was; he could have gone anywhere in the forest. It would be impossible to follow him through the maze of trees, or even know where he went to. Erasers could be hiding anywhere. I could be mangled, minced, and put on the market before anyone realized what had happened. Why was I led to my favorite childhood hangout: the old tree house?

_Taking a look around is good. Learn your surroundings to get a picture of the enemy._

_Um, Voice, if I _do _go up in the tree house, how do you suppose I _see? _It's dark and I can't see my hands in front of me. Why the hell did you lead me here?_

_Not everything seems logical. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it._

I bit my lip to keep from screaming.

Fine, if the Voice wanted me up in the tree house, I'd make it happy. That'd be my last noble act; I was probably going to die soon from the cold anyway. Whoever the Voice was should go around telling people how much of a saint I was for trying to please it. Maybe death was a good thing though. There'd be no more Jeb which coincidently meant that I would hear no more 'Save the World' crapola. I felt a burden lifting already.

But if I was dead I couldn't find Fang, which was really the only reason why I was braving the cold. For him. Jeez, what's wrong with me?

Gritting my teeth, I climbed up the ladder, hoping it wouldn't break from the intense cold or under my weight, even though I wasn't that heavy. I doubted anyone used it anymore; I had no idea it was still in good condition. Who knows what the inside would look like? I reached the opening and crawled onto the wooden floor.

It really hadn't changed since my childhood. A winding oak curled along the east side, supporting the house underneath with two large branches. The sturdy trunk stuck through the wall, providing an excellent support to recline on. Windows lined each wall so that you could see the countryside for miles. It smelled of rotting wood but was still in good shape.

I leaned down to brush myself off, shivering as the cold reached my bones. When I straightened up I nearly passed out from shock.

"Max?" a voice said that I immediately recognized. It was the most surprised I had ever heard him speak. I couldn't tell if he was happy, confused, or just shocked. I, on the other hand, was extremely relieved.

Which was why I totally acted irrationally at the moment.

"Fang!" I shouted as I jumped toward the sound of his voice. I hit something human-shaped and hugged him tightly. He was totally unresponsive, and I could feel his tension and puzzlement by my reaction, but I was just so thankful that he was okay.

When I finally let go, I had to resist the urge to strangle him, mostly because I couldn't exactly see where he was. "How did you—" I began.

"Hold on," he mumbled, cutting me off. The sound of rustling fabric filled the air and then a small light exploded into the dark tree house. I blinked, and then I saw that it came from his iPod. Huh, that's handy.

I took a good look at him. He had some cuts on his face and the skin on his knuckles had peeled away. Despite the injuries from the fight he seemed fine. Something deep in his eyes those I couldn't detect. Almost an uneasy panic… I couldn't tell for sure.

"How did you know about the tree house?" I asked, suddenly realizing that the Voice had led me here. It actually did something useful for a change. But that was too easy, wasn't it? When in my life was getting my way easy? I was instantly on guard, afraid of what the implications of that epiphany would result in.

He sighed. "That day when I ran home from the vet, I passed by it."

I thought of something else. "Have you been coming here all this time? Whenever you walked into the woods?"

"Yeah, it's a good place to think," he said with a smirk. "Away from everything else, high above the world."

I laughed and he raised an eyebrow. I shook my head. "It's just that I always came here for the same reason when I was smaller." He nodded.

The light from the iPod dimmed and he touched the wheel so we could see.

I shivered. I was so overcome with the joy of finding Fang again that I had forgotten that I was freezing my butt off. He noticed and muttered, "Oh." He slipped a jacket off his shoulders and offered it to me.

"Thanks," I mumbled awkwardly through chattering teeth. I wrapped it around myself and inhaled, not even caring that his eyes were on me. It smelled nice, like how I would imagine an odor for comfort and protection to be. "When did you grab your jacket?"

"Right after I said I was leaving but before I actually left." He scanned me once. "You didn't seem as prepared," he noted.

"Yeah, I know, I was in a heat-of-the-moment kind of deal. I, uh, had an argument with my mom." I looked down, wondering what would happen when I got home. Would she be forgiving or grateful? Would Fang come back with me? The more I thought of it the more I realized how life at home would change. Would we ever be safe from another attack? So many "would" questions flitted through my head.

"What happened?"

"She was… well, when I called her home she was more concerned about me than she was for you." I paused, gauging his reaction.

"That's understandable, Max. You're her daughter."

"But you're family," I persisted, disgusted that he could consider himself any less than me or Ella in our home. "It doesn't matter that I'm really her daughter. She acted like you weren't even important. Ella and I were worried sick, and she hardly even gave a second thought about you."

There was silence, and then he said, "What did she say about the break in?"

"Well of course she was shocked and angry, but she was happy that I was okay…"

Knowing me as well as he did, he saw straight into the heart of the matter. "I know you're leaving something out. Tell me."

Was there any point in hiding it from him? He'd find out anyway when we got home. I sighed, knowing that it really wasn't worth trying. "My mom, uh, knew that we are… different. Well, at least she knew that I was different. She thought that the break in was for me, that the Erasers— I mean, wolf-men— were after me. She also said that she, well, made me… as in helped in making me different." My fists clenched and anger churned inside my stomach as I remembered how betrayed I'd felt.

"Holy shit," he whispered, clearly as dumfounded as I was with the new information. "Jesus. She _created _you? God, Max." He sucked in a hissing breath. "Did she know anything about me?" he asked cautiously, trying to hide the curiosity from his voice.

I shook my head. "No. When I told her that you were, uh, different too, that was the first time she heard of it."

"Huh."

We were quiet again for several agonizing moments that seemed to last for an eternity. There was nothing to say after that. We just sat facing each other, taking in what I had just told him. After a while he didn't even bother to keep his iPod on, so we were in total darkness. The only sounds in the still night were the blowing wind and our breathing. I readjusted the jacket, trying to warm myself up again. There was a shuffling sound and then a corded arm snaked around my shoulders, rubbing up and down briskly. I smiled but then remembered that he couldn't see it. "Thanks," I said.

After a while he finally spoke again. "Jeb seemed to know a lot about me."

That brought back the memory of something Mom had muttered earlier, when I was talking about Fang. She didn't know about him, but she had said Jeb's name. Of course he was responsible for everything. He was the one who had suggested Fang to be our foster brother…

As Fang would say, Holy shit!

"You know, he made sure that you got put in our home," I realized, putting the pieces together. "He had to have had a reason for wanting you to live with us. Does he know that we're different? What does it mean?"

"I don't know." He carefully chose his next words as he took a deep breath. "That first night, the one when I moved in, when I met with him in my room he confronted me about my past. He knew a lot about where I had been before and what my life had been like. I thought he was some sort of mind reader, but now it makes sense. He wants us together for a reason."

"I was thinking the same thing." I wondered exactly what the implications of his last sentence meant. "But what about James? He's like us, too. How does he fit in?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's a part of everything too."

The words 'the Big Picture' were floating around in my mind, and I shuddered, wondering if the Voice had put them there. If I ever knew who the Voice was I was going to kill it.

Something more pressing was bothering me, and it wasn't caused by the crazy voice inside my head. "What exactly did Jeb know about your past? You've been living with us for four months and you're a complete stranger to everyone. We hardly know you and I constantly wonder if it's that you're afraid to open up to us, or if it's just not in you're nature to tell, or even if you don't trust us—"

"Max, of course I trust _you_," he said as if it were obvious. "I just… wasn't ready."

I bit my lip. That was pretty much the most emotional-wise he had ever admitted to.

I was going to suggest about getting out of this frozen chamber — I mean, I was wearing his jacket; he had to be dying — and possibly ask about going home, when I was cut off by Fang's voice.

"But I think you deserve to know. It doesn't seem right that I should keep this from you."

"Keep what?" I asked stupidly. Jeez people, it was below the freezing point. How do you expect me to remember what he was talking about?

He sighed. "My past, I meant. I should have told you that one time but… I couldn't make myself do it."

"You're going to tell me now? In a tree house in the middle of a dead forest when it's thirty-something degrees outside? Can't we go home and talk about it?"

"So you don't want to know?"

"Of course I do! It's just, the timing and setting isn't exactly the greatest."

"Not to sound rude, but after what you told me I can't be sure if I trust saying anything personal at home. I don't know if I can rely on your mom to keep everything private."

I grimaced, but of course he was right. I didn't know if I could trust her anymore either. "I understand."

"I always knew that I was adopted; we looked nothing alike. It never mattered though, because she was my mom and she always was there for me. She was a pediatric doctor and I always got to go to work with her. It was really cool, being young and getting to work with your mom. Then…"

I couldn't see him, but I could tell it was really hard for him to finally admit this. The jerk in me was dying to roll my eyes and tell him to suck it up but hey, I can be sensitive occasionally. I tried patting his hand but I think I hit his knee. (Don't ask how my aim was that bad). "It's okay," I consoled.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "When I was about five or six, we were driving home from the hospital she worked at. Someone ran a red light and smashed right into the driver's side of the car. I was only banged up but it's impossible for anyone to survive an accident like that. The thing was that I _saw_ everything." His voice had a twinge of melancholy in it.

"Oh, my God. Fang I'm so sorry." I knew she died but I didn't realize it had happened like that. "I didn't realize it happened like that."

"Sadly sorry doesn't change anything," he noted bitterly. "I spent the next few years bouncing around from home to home, but none of the houses ever felt right to me. There was something about the families that wasn't good. I never trusted anyone, at school or in my foster families. I couldn't bring myself to open up, and I guess that kind of changed me." I remembered seeing the pictures in his room of the happy, smiling child that he used to be. What would he have been like if he hadn't gone through the death of his mom and bounced in foster care?

"Eventually I started finding ways of getting out of my placement homes. I would act up to make them hate me or convince the social service workers that my home was unsuitable. I learned all the loopholes that would put me back into the orphanage to the point where they stopped placing me in homes. There was nothing exciting about living with tons of children, but I knew it was safer. It was easy to get into this self-sufficient mindset and I knew I didn't need a family to survive. I was an independent.

"But over the summer the social workers convinced me to try one more home. I wasn't really in the mood and I didn't expect much to come from it. They told me that I was recommended for this household and that it would be something new for me to do. The fact that I was suggested for a place made me curious. Of course I had to try even if I only thought I'd spend a couple months their max. Let me say, your home was different from all the others. I never worked on a farm before, never been around farm animals before either. It was strange when I actually started getting used to living with you guys."

I smiled, touched that Fang was (sort of) admitting that this was the first home he actually liked.

"It wasn't my intention at first, but somehow I saw myself staying with your family for a while. I never got too far into thinking about a future, but I figured that this was going to be the longest I spent with one family. I don't know about the long term but… I want to be here. It's the first time in a long time I've actually been…"

He couldn't find the right word but I knew what he was implying. I was dying to say a lot of things to him, mostly good, some bad and smart aleck-y, but I lost my tongue for the second time that night.

"When things started going weird at school at first I was concerned for myself. I'd spent so long being alone that I wanted to be safe. But as it kept going on I realized that there were others more important to me, that I didn't want to get involved… but it seems like that could never happen. What your mom said has shown that it isn't about me. There is something else. _Some_one else..."

A tense moment passed where, suddenly, I felt his breath very close to me. My senses were on hyper alert. What the heck was he _doing?_ I was confused and guarded, not understanding where this was coming from.

Suddenly, and somehow miraculously in the dark, his lips were on mine, soft yet determined, and my mind shorted out.

All I could do was react to the feeling. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but the tingling in my stomach would affirm that suspicion according to most romance novels. If I were more in control I might have pushed him off, or maybe not. I just got lost in the moment of letting my lips move in sync with his.

Eventually I was able to think in staggered questions again. What did he mean by this? This was the moment every girl dreamed of, their first kiss, and to be honest I had never given much thought to how I'd want it to happen. I sure as hell didn't think it would take place in a tree house in the heart of winter. Did I ever think of sharing this moment with Fang? There had been all those signs... Oh God, I'm such an idiot. All the confusion and worry, but also the need and longing, made this experience a little too overwhelming. I wanted to jump out of here right now and fly away from everything.

It seemed like we had been kissing forever. Who knew how long it had actually been? Seconds? Hours? I could hardly process thoughts, much less time. But at some point mid-lip-locked I thought that the tree house had shaken violently. Or did it really do that?

Was this a revelation of love?

* * *

**Thanks for all the understanding and encouraging words! I'm still not 100% better but I'm getting there. This weekend had been kind of hectic but fun, and I did work on the story. I spent today though really finishing it and getting into it, so I hope it wasn't too bad or awkward, even though I thought it was kind of OOC. I don't know if it was the greatest, but I don't think I butchered it too much either. I was kind of writing with zero experience to draw from. Haha, I'm a loser. :P**

**Kina Kalamari, yeah the musical is a lot different from the book. Fiyero didn't die, but was turned into the Scarecrow, and Elphaba didn't die either, but it was still really good. Also, yay for Vampire Kisses! Read the Manga's too because the artwork is incredible! The new one comes out at the end of the month! CloudNRain, no, Fang is soooo much better! :D**

**I'm gonna try balancing writing into the whole school thing, which I'm still trying to get used to again. I'll try to get to the other stories soon, too. Oh, also, I'm nominated for one award on the yolasite MR Awards, so please vote for me!! **

**Going for #500, who will get... uh... more virtual cookies! Or maybe virtual ice cream. :P  
--biteoutoflife--**


	41. Black

**Chapter 38 – Black**

At some point when my mind had gotten out of its stupor-like state, I realized what was going on. The tree house _was_ shaking… and wobbling unsteadily, too. At least I wasn't imagining it as a result of some embarrassing overreaction to the fact that I was actually kissing my foster brother — which just suddenly sounded wrong, _very _wrong. So before you go off questioning my sanity, I had some business to take care of.

I pulled back from Fang, partly to see if he had noticed and partly because I needed to breathe. "Did you feel that?" I gasped, letting air flow into my lungs again. The night around us was tense, as if the atmosphere was holding its breath in anticipation.

Before he could reply, a huge crack sounded as the wall we were leaning on cracked open. The wood splintered and fell around us as the wind blew violently. My arms reflexively wrapped around my head. When the debris stopped flying I looked up and stifled a gasp.

A huge, yellow-fanged, furry face was staring at the two of us hungrily. A wolfy grin was plastered on its ugly face. "Was I interrupting? Don't mind me."

I wanted to smash his muzzle into the back of his head, but Fang pulled me back toward the other wall. We scrambled, sticking close, when a huge puff of moist, odorous breath wafted above us. We peered upward, already knowing what to expect. Another huge Eraser was looking through the cut-out window.

"The two love birds are together. Isn't that sweet?" The two Erasers cackled throatily.

"You ready?" Fang whispered in my ear.

I looked into his black eyes, matching the shade of the sky outside. All the awkwardness I was feeling before with him was gone. It was replaced by a dire need to survive and get away from these big, nasty creatures that find pleasure in torturing us. What was their problem? What did Itex have against us? I finally nodded once, and then we sprung.

It was definitely hard, fighting two large wolves that could easily take up most of the space in this small tree house. Somehow we managed to make it work. I leapt up, spinning around, and instinctively punched the Eraser in the nose. It growled and flinched back from the window. Fang was engaged with the other one behind me and from the sound of it neither had the upper hand.

The Eraser I'd just struck only got pissed. He ripped the wooden boards away easily, as if this had been constructed of Popsicle sticks. He crept into the crowded space, his muzzle dripping with drool and froth. I backed away but tripped over a stray board, causing me to fall onto the chilly ground. Before I could recover I was instantly dragged out of the tree house by my hair. A cry escaped from my lips and tears threatened to spill from my eyes. Oh, God, I felt so weak. I _hated_ it. He hauled me out through the hole he'd created, into the arctic air, and held me over the snow-covered ground thirty feet below.

If there had ever been a time in my life when I was truly afraid, it was now. I had never been a situation like this, where I felt moments away from death. What were they going to do? We hadn't done anything to them! It wasn't fair.

"Max!" Fang shouted, moving toward me. I was facing the inside of the house— my beloved childhood hangout that was now just a shredded memory. It was broken, pummeled, and useless. It didn't matter what happened to it though if I wasn't alive to use it again.

I wish there could have been a way for Fang to save me, but he really had no chance. The other Eraser, who was on the floor, grabbed Fang's ankle and drug him down. The Eraser pounced on top of him and smashed his head unto the wood twice. The first time Fang grunted on impact, but the second time he was silent, lying limply like a rag doll. I noticed a trail of dark liquid flowing from his nose and mouth.

Oh, no, please, no.

It didn't matter that I could have been dropped to a certain death at any moment, or that I could be puppy chow in the matter of seconds. It didn't matter that things were going to be different between us for a while because of that kiss. It didn't matter that I didn't know his true intentions. All I wanted was to make sure that he was okay.

I struggled under the Eraser's grasp, swinging my dangling legs frantically. As much as I wanted to get to Fang, I couldn't do any damage to the hulking monster restraining me. I was seeing red though, and it was giving me a boost of adrenaline.

An odd, repetitive humming noise sounded in the distance and was continually growing louder. I couldn't turn around to see the source but I was certain that it was a helicopter. The Eraser sitting on top of an unconscious Fang looked up expectedly toward the sky. The cold, frigid air was slinking its way back into my body, and eventually my panicked kicks stopped to allow myself to shiver.

I was pulled away from the open air and thrown on the ground next to Fang. My breath whooshed out painfully. "You'll be very still," he warned me. "Unless you want your neck snapped."

I gulped but said nothing. I had to stay aware of what was going on for Fang. Part of me wanted to look over at him now, to make sure that he was still breathing, but I couldn't show the Eraser's any weakness. All I could do was watch, wait, and shiver.

A strong force pulsated through the darkness, blowing the stagnant, frosty air into my eyes, which watered automatically. When I could adjust to the wind I noticed the large helicopter floating over the line of trees. Its lights weren't on, but it was hard not to mistake that giant shape in the sky or the sound of spinning propellers. I waited anxiously for what was about to happen.

Seemingly out of nowhere, more Erasers poured unto the mangled tree house. They appeared excited, a little _too _pleased for my taste. What were they going to do?

"Well, look what we have here," one rumbled, followed by an array of scratchy voices in reply.

"We finally got Subject 2075. The Director will be pleased."

"What are we going to do with the other one?"

"She knows too much," one said levelly, in a voice that sounded more human than wolf. "She has to come with us. We'll see what we can do with her. After all, she _was _messing with the wrong crowd."

It was then that I realized exactly who was speaking. My eyes widened with shock, but before I could spit any out any of the hatred that was boiling inside of me, Mr. Darnell appeared in my vision, hovering over me in Eraser form. "I warned you not to interfere, but you never learn your lesson." His hand, carrying something I couldn't make out, floated above my face. He pressed it to my nose, and then my world went black.

* * *

**Congrats Fang's Stalker for being reviewer 500!! Celebrate wisely with Fang! Runswithvamp, haha, yeah I thought so too. Fuzzylogic, a "heart-to-heart" will happen, but not any time soon. There's got to be tons of action in between then and now. Although that convo will never go exactly as planned... *sighs*. Oh well. I'm glad everyone liked last chapter, and I'm sorry this one was short. I had a very bad week so writing didn't come very easily.**

**Soooo, I need to work on the other stories, although I really want to keep updating this one. I've been considering rewriting chapter 8 of Ghost of Me because that really wasn't how I wanted the chapter to go, so now I have to rethink the next one. Uh... I do have the ending to Winning Bid planned, so I should jump on that too. However, let's stick with the basics... Vote for me on the yolasite MR Awards!! This story is nominated for best MR fanfic, so I'm seriously excited. I'm posting a new poll that is completely irrelevant to any of my fanfics, but I'm bored and I need something to do.**

**Review Please!  
--biteoutoflfie--**


	42. The Waiting Game

**Chapter 39 – The Waiting Game**

Before I was fully conscious, I knew that I wasn't rolling around in a field of cotton candy or curled up in dozens of fluffy blankets on a comfy bed. The lump in my back told me otherwise. It wasn't as cold here — wherever here was — as it was outside in the limb-numbing weather, but a slight chill crept its way through the goose bumps on my skin. I shivered once before remembering what had happened right before I woke up.

Mr. Darnell, who I hadn't seen in a couple weeks, had been in my tree house, in full Eraser form. There was no mistaking the smooth, calm way he spoke, even if it was slightly marred by large fangs. He'd been there, and he placed me under some kind of drug that had knocked me out. I didn't know how long I'd been out for, and the omniscient darkness I sensed around me gave no light as to what time it was or my location.

Right before then another Eraser had knocked out Fang. That whole scene replayed itself through my closed eyelids. Despite the dark, I could clearly see the trail of blood trickling from his nose and mouth. It was so strange, having all these mixed up feelings about him, and it was driving me insane. First I was glad that he was confiding his secrets to me, then I was confused when we'd kissed, and finally I felt like my stomach had been twisted into a giant ball when he'd been injured. I didn't get what any of it meant but I wanted to forget it all.

Of all the things I'd thought I would have to worry about as a freshman in high school, getting kidnapped and having confused feelings about my _foster brother_ were not what I'd expected.

I wondered if the Voice would pop in any time soon; it usually barged into my head at moments like these when I was considering embarrassing thoughts. I wasn't sure if I should be glad that I had my mind to myself or worried about how alone I might be. There was no sound, no light, and no nothing that I could detect. It was all very stressful.

I forced myself into a sitting position. The first thing I noticed was the cool concrete my hands were pressed against. I couldn't see a thing; the lighting was even worse than it had been outside. This was extreme darkness. I could hear my heartbeat pulsing in my ears. Before I'd mentioned that being hung over the edge of a thirty foot drop was the scariest thing I'd ever faced. This was a close second.

Rising to my feet, I skimmed my hand along the edge of what felt to be a concrete wall, three walls long with the final being metal bars. It reminded me of a prison. I guess that was plausible, as much as I didn't want to admit to it. For all I knew I could be on the other side of the globe by now. The thought made me suppress a shudder.

I slumped to the floor in exasperation. To me, it felt like the past couple days have been about the firsts in my life: first time I ran away, first kiss, first near-death experience, and now the first time I felt truly alone. My stomach was sinking to the cold floor. I felt _very_ alone.

A crazy idea flitted through my head what felt like ages later. I had no idea how much time had really passed, but it seemed like months. While I was sitting there, flipping the zipper on Fang's jacket — which I was still wearing — I remembered that I have a way of escaping this hell hole. I couldn't believe I didn't think of this sooner. I scrambled up to my feet and centered myself, taking a huge breath. _You can do this_, I thought. I lifted my hand and placed it against the metal bars that separated me from whatever kind of freedom lay on the other side. My hand brushed against it for a second before it was warped through to the other side. I grinned in victory. Now all I had to do was—

_Max, stop._

I nearly groaned out loud. _Voice, don't you dare stop me. I need to get out so I can find Fang and get us out of here._

_First of all, you have no idea where you are. If you leave now you'll just get recaptured. Or lost. The building you're in is like a maze, one that only the people who know it best can navigate. You'd have no idea where to begin._

_Thanks for the encouraging words,_ I spat sarcastically at it.

_I'm being logical, Max, _it said in that know-it-all way that it had. _Now sit down because you'll have a visitor soon. Just be prepared._

_A visitor? So is this an actual prison? Where's the ward? I want to give him a piece of my mind._

Apparently the Voice didn't have a sense of humor. I was alone again, waiting for whoever this visitor was. Why would I need to be prepared? Is it Fang? Maybe Mr. Darnell was stopping by for a chat, to call this a hardcore detention? One thing I knew for sure was that if someone didn't come by to get me soon I'd either die from the cold or from extreme boredom.

After a while, when I was pacing back and forth, a blinding light pierced my line of sight. It was so bright I had to turn away from it at first. Footsteps padded along a walkway, getting closer to where I was. Once my eyes were better adjusted I could make out the shape of a man, but I still couldn't tell who it was. I braced myself for a fight, expecting the worst. Hey, the Voice never said if it was an enemy or an ally. I had to be prepared for all situations.

The familiar voice spoke before I could see him completely and my body froze, not a result of the cold. I hadn't expected him at all. My eyes widened in disbelief.

"This wasn't exactly how I planned meeting you again, Max," a voice that made my blood run cold said. No. It couldn't be. How could he be here? "But we need to talk, and I'm afraid this isn't the greatest place for a conversation."

"Why?" I asked cautiously. I was reduced to one word responses out of sheer shock. It just didn't seem possible that he could be here.

He stepped into the light, illuminating himself perfectly. And there it was, folks, my heart constricted painfully looking at him. Everything was a little too much, even if I didn't like the guy. The sand-and-gray streaked hair, the wire glasses, the slim body, that _voice_. There was only one person in the world that could produce so much terror within me in such a little time.

Jeb.

He didn't respond to my question, but instead came up to the confining bars with a set of jingling keys. In a swift movement he unlocked the cell and swung the door open for me to pass through. I eyed him carefully but didn't move.

"Come on, I'd like take you to a place where we can talk privately."

"What if I don't want to go with you?" My reply was somewhat respectful, trying to keep the rage that was rushing through my veins. I wasn't sure why, but I felt a little betrayed. This wasn't as bad as earlier when Mom had told me about her involvement with Itex, but he _was _my dad. I guess I expected more of the evil plotting from him.

"I can't make you go, but it'll be a lot easier to find Fang if you do."

Okay, that was a low blow, but since I was such a sucker for my foster brother I knew I had no other option. I sighed and stepped out into the hallway. Jeb offered an encouraging smile that I returned with a scowl. I didn't like that he was practically blackmailing me into submission. Once I found out where Fang was I was bolting.

Jeb closed the cell door silently and started walking the way he'd entered. I stayed close behind him, noticing with some surprise that I was the only one occupying a cell. Where was Fang?

I memorized every exit we took, any other passageways I saw. The halls we walked through were lit by powerful fluorescent lights, stinging my eyes at first. Once we really got into the heart of the building I began smelling something made my stomach clench. It was antiseptic, bleach, the smells of doctors and medicine. Where were we?

Eventually, after passing a line of people walking in white lab coats, we came to a set of closed doors. After all the walking we had done I felt totally lost. My mapping skills were only slightly lacking. Jeb pushed on the handle and held it open for me. I scrutinized his eyes carefully. I still wasn't completely sure if I should trust him, but I had no other choice if I wanted to find Fang. At least I hoped that was the case. If he was pulling my leg I would snap his head off in a heartbeat.

I brushed past him into what looked like a small conference room. There was a small table at one end, along with chairs set up in a classroom-like fashion facing a Smart Board. I stood along the wall, not sure where I was supposed to go. Once Jeb had closed the door he walked to the table, taking a seat at the one head. He gestured for me to join him so I sat on the other side.

"Well, you wanted me here so badly," I began. "Where's Fang?"

"Ah, Max," he sighed, not taking his eyes from mine. "I'm glad to see your leadership skills kicking in. Your concern is what makes you perfect for the role; don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"What the hell are you talking about?" My hands clenched on the plastic chair, holding me in place. I hated it when people talked like there was some secret they knew about me that I wasn't aware of. "Just tell me what I want to know so I can get this over with. Where am I?"

He paused for a moment, as if thinking over his answer. Finally his shoulders lowered in defeat. "We're in New York," he said slowly. My eyes widened. Was he joking? "This is a place we refer to as the Institute for Higher Living, hidden underground through several office buildings."

"Why are you telling me this?" I groaned, getting really frustrated. I mean, I wanted answers, but I didn't expect to get them. "You're obviously one of them by being here. Why does the bad guy always reveal their plans before right before they induce painful torture on their victims? What do you want from me?"

He chuckled. "As much as it seems like I may be the villain, I'm on your side. I received a call from your mom last night saying that she saw a helicopter flying around your home. She was afraid that something bad was about to happen. I still have connections in several labs, including this one and the one in Washington D.C. I called around and found you were taken to New York, so I took the first flight out from Maryland."

I studied him, making sure I could believe what he was telling me. None of it was adding up, but from his expression he seemed honest. I had so many questions to ask him but I didn't want to waste time when I could be looking for Fang. "So is this a branch of Itex?" I was going for the heart of the matter.

"I shouldn't be surprised you figured out so much on your own," he mumbled to himself. "You're very smart. And yes, this is a branch of Itex."

I nodded, not about ready to give some of the glory to Fang for figuring out some of this. But then my thoughts ran back to him and I had to ask, "Where is Fang? Why wasn't he in a cell, too?"

His eyes seemed somber for a second, breaking his staring match with me for a moment to look at the table. When he met my eyes again the sadness from before was replaced by a determination. "He's in surgery, which was why he was taken to New York instead of the other Itex branches. This is the only one that can perform what they want to do with him."

The whole time he'd talked my heart shriveled up to the size on a peanut. Fang was in surgery? What for? The injuries they'd inflicted before wasn't nearly enough to have landed him in a crisis situation. At least it didn't seem that way. My reply was slightly panicked. "Well, why can't you stop it? What are they doing that's so important? He's not dying, is he?"

He sighed again. "He's perfectly fine. And I couldn't stop the surgery no matter how long or hard I protested. They've been waiting for this opportunity for nine years and there is no chance they'll let it escape again."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering my question, he backtracked. "I'm sure you've noticed that both you and Fang are different, and when I say that I mean in a way separate from your average teenage problems. I know that you two have abilities that you can't even comprehend, and more that have yet to come. There's a reason for it, one that no matter how much we try to keep you from it will always come back to try and claim you." It reminded me of what Mom had said, and I felt very guilty at this moment for getting us in this situation. If I hadn't chased after Fang he might not have been captured.

"You see, it's not just your powers that make you different. From the moment you were born you were made for something greater. Your mom didn't want that life for you, but I knew it was unavoidable. You're genetic makeup isn't like that of Ella or Valencia or mine. There are subtle but important differences, put into you from a young age that made you different. _Special_. And it hasn't been completed yet."

I clung to every word he was saying, hoping they were lies, but knowing that the truth was there. He'd never lied to me; he was always watching for the signs. The signs of what made me _special, _as he put it. Or rather, what had been the cause of several months of uncertainty and pain. Jerk.

"Max, this may sound strange to you but…" he took a deep breath, "Fang is in surgery to have wings grafted on his back."

At that point I had severed all ties with reality and knew that this was definitely a dream. _Wings?! _

He had finally lost it.

"It is your duty, as the ultimate specimen of human creation, to be just that. The ultimate. _Maximum. _Your were born for that purpose, to save the world through your abilities."

Was it just me, or were there many flaws in the last few statements he'd made? That made absolutely no sense. It was just… wrong, inhuman, and _sick._ Who in their right minds would do that to innocent people? I was so stunned I couldn't speak for a moment.

Jeb broke the long silence. "Will you accept your calling?"

There was a lot I needed answered before I could go all willy-nilly, gung-ho on his crazy scheme. I mean, there has to be a lot of planning before you decide to implant freaking _wings_ on someone's back. "Tell me something first," I whispered.

The side of his mouth quirked into a smile. "Anything."

I took a deep breath, steadying myself in preparation for what I knew I was going to hear. "Explain to me everything you know about Itex and the involvement you and my mother had in it, and also how Fang and I fit in."

His brown eyes, much like my own, examined me for a long moment before he released a breath I hadn't noticed him holding. "You deserve to know the truth," was all he said.

* * *

**As you can see, the next chapter is gonna be mostly about answering any questions I've left open. Because I'm not sure what you all want to know, I think it's very important that you put any questions you want answered in your review. I have a certain list of things I want discussed, so let me know if you want to see something added. Also, I have a very important poll question that I need answered. It's kind of confusing, so please read carefully. The quesion is "What should Max's answer be?", and that is in regards to Jeb asking her if she will 'accept her calling'. Basically, should Max get wings now or wait until later? Maybe I shouldn't have worded the question that way, but I originally planned to leave the chapter ending with a question. So please answer the poll immediately or else I won't know how to write the next chapter.**

**Off to write two papers for AP English due Monday (that class sucks, don't take it!)  
--biteoutoflife--**


	43. The Plan

**Chapter 40 – The Plan**

So while I was anxiously awaiting some kind of answer to finally explain what the heck was going on in my messed up life, I had to admit that even _I _wasn't prepared for what happened next.

My fingers dewed with sweat where they gripped the chair. I ground my teeth in anticipation. Jeb sat across from me with an annoyingly patient expression on his face. Despite his promise, I wasn't sure if he'd make good on his end of the bargain. I mean, he was the one who told me that I was _created_ to have freaking _wings_. While I knew I was dealing with a deranged psychopath who experimented on children out of pleasure, I at least expected him to be a man of his word. I was his _daughter._ That should count for something.

And what might it be that surprised me to the point of peeing my pants you might ask? Well, let's go through the obvious options:

Jeb, being the lunatic that he was, had alerted a heard of Erasers that I was in here and was to be disposed of properly?

No, but thinking about kicking some butt sounded like fun.

Jeb suddenly passed out from… uh, not eating during his trip from Maryland to New York to find me?

As amusing as that sounds, that didn't happen either.

Fang suddenly burst in the office door, coming to my rescue…. Again for the nth time.

Even though that option would have presented me with the certainty that he was okay, I was thanking God that it wasn't what really happened.

If you're afraid of the dark, then you would have had a panic attack by this point.

At the time when Jeb was about to speak, the fluorescent lights went out in an audible _shwap_.

I sat there for a moment, eyes wide as saucers. I was certain Jeb had been forced into a stunned silence, too, since he didn't speak for what seemed like an eternity. Even though it had only been a couple seconds, I finally mustered, "What the hell is going on?"

Let me tell you that this was no ordinary kind of darkness. When you were locked in one of those rooms where there is absolutely no way to see what is around you, we classify the setting as "extreme darkness". I couldn't see my hands, the table, or even Jeb for that matter. It was that kind of darkness that sends chills to the bone. It was kind of unnerving.

"I'm not sure," was the whisper that came a few feet from me, in a sort of tone that seemed much too loud in the small room. Jeb's voice sounded confused. "If the power went out, then the backup generators should kick in at any moment."

I permitted myself a small shudder, rubbing Fang's jacket against the slow-rising goose bumps on my arm. The smell of him wafted from the fabric, as if the brushing had lifted a dusting of Fang into the cool air. And of course, as I know my strange mind works, just inhaling a reminder of him sent my brain into a full-fledged, gung ho course on him. It's strange how connotations brought him into my forethoughts.

Somewhere in the middle of remembering the first time I saw him, under the bleachers at the soccer field, and thinking of our last moment alone in the tree house (and how I could still feel his lips lingering on mine), a crazy plan jumped into my head. It was insane, I know, but I saw hope. And you guys know me. I'm all for impossible schemes.

"Do you think that the whole institute blacked out," I asked suddenly, leaning towards where I thought Jeb was sitting. I tapped my finger against my leg impatiently, hoping that the generator would take its grand old time.

"I'd suppose so. Why?" Jeb sounded just as confused by my excited tone as he had been by the blackout.

The sound of grating metal against linoleum floor scratched through the air. I'd shoved my chair backwards and rose to my feet, the plan already working its way into my mind. In hindsight it was stupid to even attempt such a thing, but I was a girl on a mission. And frankly they had my best friend locked away somewhere within this hell-whole, doing God knows what to him. I had to do something.

My footsteps patted against the floor when I heard Jeb's chair move backwards. "Max, what are you doing?" he shouted.

I almost felt bad for blowing off my dad, but there was someone more important to me than him that I was focusing on. This was _my _time. I was determined to do the immediate solution that popped into my head, no matter what logic or Jeb or the Voice had to say.

I ran toward where I thought the door was, not caring about the possibility of the searing pain I'd feel if my power failed me suddenly. I hardly thought about minor things like that. All I saw was the prize.

"_Maxine Ride, get back here this instant!_" He sounded furious, but he didn't see the goal. He didn't understand what I _had _to do.

"I have to get Fang!" I yelled as I felt my body dissolve into the wall or door or whatever I hit. I felt myself transferring into the hallway, which was just as dark as it had been before. Completely lost, I went the way I thought was the opposite of how I'd come in.

_Ah, Max_, the Voice intoned.

_Don't you dare try to stop me!_ It didn't occur to me that the girl who was attempting a crazy rescue was talking to the voice in her head, but hey, that's just me. Crazy is my middle name. I was used to it.

_I wouldn't think of it, _it said in an pleasant monotone. _You're finally taking charge like I wanted you to. This is what a leader does. I always knew you had it in you. I am so proud of you, Maximum._

_Maximum? Is that a superhero name?_ I sniffed sourly, although the Voice's compliment was oddly flattering. Its presence in my mind was somehow soothing, too. I didn't feel as alone as I had with Jeb. It's strange how you get attached to things over time, even if the object I was referring to was also the cause of many recurring headaches.

_I find it appropriate…_

I didn't know what it said after that, because after those four words had entered my mind the hall lights blazed into life, momentarily blinding me. My steps faltered slightly, but I didn't want to stop running. If I thought correctly, the power outage would have stopped any operation that had been going on, which means that the pause would throw a wrench into whatever they were doing. Now that the power had returned, it was a matter of time before the operation commenced… if Jeb had been telling me the truth. Either way, I knew that I had to find Fang soon.

Or else I would risk being used as puppy chow.

* * *

**I'm back!!! :) No, I didn't die, I wasn't sick at all, and, in all honesty, I did have time to write. That might not be what you wanted to hear, but in the two months since I've updated I realized something important. I think I spent too much time trying to please everyone. That might come across wrong, but I think that this has played a big reason into why I haven't updated. I'm not sure if I should be in the mindset of pleasing everyone, because no one is ever completely satisfied with a story. Hence the reason I replanned the course of this story, which will make it a lot easier going on to the end. I'll admit that this chapter isn't the greatest I've done, but I'm getting there. **

**So, I have to say another big motivator was you guys. Even when I wasn't going near the FF web site I would still get emails of people favoriting this story and reviews, which I think is crazy. Everyone is awesome! :D **

**Updating will not be frequent, especially with Nanowrimo starting Sunday. Yes, I'm doing it, mostly to get some kind of writing mojo back (because I still have no idea where he is). And it looks like a lot of fun, too. My friend and I are writing together so it should be easy to keep motivated (or competitive, hmm...)**

**Happy Halloweeen everyone!  
--biteoutoflife--**


	44. Startling Truths

**Chapter 41 – Startling Truths**

The first thing that Fang was aware about when he woke up was the stinging pain in his head. It was like someone had drilled a nail into his forehead repeatedly, and was not succeeding in driving it into his brain. Another result of the pain was the horrible ringing in his ears, so loud and foreign that he could hardly hear his own thoughts. A metallic taste in his mouth made him want to throw up.

He wasn't aware of anything that had happened to him in a long time, making him wonder how long he had been out for. The last thing he remembered was being in the tree house, with Max next to him, and the two of them kissing. He actually kissed her! If it weren't such a glorious revelation, he might not have believed that it had actually happened. But the memory of her plump, cold limps against his own still lingered in his thoughts. Then the rest of the picture came into his mind, and he gritted his teeth to expel the awful accident.

Right in the middle of their kiss, they had been attacked by Erasers.

It seemed so ironic that a special moment had to have been ruined. He shouldn't have tried to push his feelings like that unto Max, especially since he had no idea how she felt about him. He wasn't sure if he believed in karma or not, but it seemed very likely based upon the result of his actions. God, how could he be so stupid? Of course he shouldn't have done it. Anything good in his life had been taken away, which is exactly why he shouldn't have kissed her. If he were even lucky enough to get her to like him, something bad would happen to her.

It was inevitable.

But worse than all of this was that he couldn't protect her when she needed him most. It didn't matter that he would probably never get to kiss Max again — no doubt she would never allow that to happen — but it bothered him to no end that he knew he might never see her again. For all he knew he was dead right now. Yet he hoped that she was still alive, able to escape the Erasers somehow. He hoped that she had returned home, because it wasn't right that he was the cause of her and her mother getting in a fight. He wasn't worth it.

He shut down the horrible feelings racing through him. If there was one thing he was good at, it was putting aside painful memories. He didn't want people to know what he was thinking or see his emotions, partially due to the strength it gave him but also as an instinctual defense. Feelings can be used against you at any moment. There is no need to give your opponent an advantage to break you.

The ringing in his head gave him some reason to believe that he wasn't dead. Sucking in a sharp breath, he pushed up into a sitting position. That was the first time he realized he was resting on a cot. The mattress was thin and uncomfortable, but at least it wasn't the floor. Wanting to examine the room, he jumped to his feet.

The action was impulsive, though, as he stumbled awkwardly. It was clear he hadn't been upright in a long time, and doing so now made him dizzy. Feeling like he was going to fall over, he used the wall as a support. His head was screaming in agony as the blood rushed away from it. As his breathing came in short gasps, he could see the condensation in the air. Goose bumps rose on his arms and he rubbed them briskly, only to realize that he wasn't in long sleeves.

That's when he noticed that his clothes were different from when he last remembered. He was now in a white t-shirt and shorts. He never recalled changing, so that could only mean one possibility. Someone had to have changed it for him.

Where was he?

Regaining some balance he saw that he was in a small, almost jail-like room. The floor was linoleum tiled and cool against his bare feet. He only had about ten feet in length and width to walk. A door stood across from him with a rectangular opening cut into its lower half. That too reminded him of a meal slot in a prison. The only light came from a flickering bulb overhead which wasn't exactly helping his headache.

Where was Max? Was she here too? He was tempted to whisper her name, but he didn't know if unwanted ears were listening. This place gave him the worst feeling, one of death and despair. He wouldn't be surprised to see an Eraser walking down the aisle at any moment.

He bent down and peered through the slot, hoping to see something or someone he could use. From that low down he couldn't make out much. All he saw was more linoleum flooring and a long path of white walls on either side. It didn't look like there were any other cells, but he couldn't be sure. When he tried sticking his arm through the slot to see if he could reach any kind of handle, it almost got stuck.

Right about now, he really wished that he had Max's power.

With a rush, the pain in his head suddenly flared. He scrambled over to the cot so that he could try to wait it out. Hopefully someone would come for him soon. He didn't like the feeling that his surroundings gave him. There was something off about this place.

He didn't know how much time had passed — whether minutes or hours — when he heard heals clicking in the distance. His head felt slightly better, but he was in no mood for a confrontation, especially with an Eraser. Forcing himself up, he slinked back to the meal slot and peered in the direction of the noise. He couldn't see a thing.

Then two smooth, white legs stopped right in front of him.

The deadbolts on the door clicked open from the other side. He scrambled to his feet and prepared himself to fight whoever was on the other side. There would be no mercy—

He was taken aback to see a tall, blond-haired woman gazing at him with an unreadable expression. She was dressed in a white lab coat and a black pencil skirt that hit just above her knees. For a moment he was frozen, not completely sure how to respond. Was she good or bad? Should he take her out now and ask questions later while he makes a break for it? He was about to strike when she smiled, a short quirk of her lips that gave him the impression that she was his superior.

Her words froze him.

"Aw, Marco Liridon, or should I say Subject 2075?" Her voice was low and confident. "It's been a long time."

His brows furrowed. "Who are you? How do you know me?"

His fists clenched tightly, preparing to lash out.

She took notice of his tenseness, despite that his motions were hardly perceptible to most eyes. Laughing knowingly, she motioned for someone outside the room. "I think he needs some restraining."

He tried to break out then, but his movement was too slow. Just as he meant to punch the woman two Erasers — one wolf and one rhino — sidestepped her and charged on him. His fist connected with the wolf's chest, but it didn't cause much damage. Its fuzzy hand grabbed his and pulled it back in an unnatural fashion. He gritted his teeth to keep from crying out.

The rhino guy lumbered behind Fang and tied his hands together with a rope that had been slung around its shoulder. The restraint was too tight; it cut off circulation to Fang's fingers.

"Good work, boys, now leave me alone with him," the woman laughed. With deranged grins, the two creatures exited the room.

A chill passed through Fang like he'd never felt before.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Introductions aren't important right now, Marco. We can handle all of that later." She paused and took a few steps closer to him. When she looked down, she smiled again. "What is important is that you understand why you are here and why I have personally come to see you."

He didn't say anything. The look he was shooting her was murderous. He hated that she had to have him restrained just so that they could talk.

"If you must address me, you can call me the Director," she admitted after a moment.

"What are you _the director_ of?"

His head flew back before he'd realized what had happened. She smacked him square across the face. He stared off in the distance while she continued to talk.

"No more questions. You just let me do the talking from now on." She began to pace the small space in the room, her arms crossed behind her back. "The reason why I'm here is to make you an offer."

He wanted to sneer back, _what? An offer I can't refuse? _But he didn't particularly feel like getting slapped again, especially when he was trying to find an escape.

She smiled as he didn't say anything. "You see, there really is no choice in this offer. You were _made_ for this purpose. So consider this a lesson in what your future will be like.

"We are in a building that belongs to Itex, the greatest company as far as medical development and research goes across the country. It was here that we started the breakthrough advancements in genetic engineering, something that the government likes to keep under wraps. They don't see the value of enhancing human life like we do. In years of research, we finally came up with the design for the ultimate human being we could imagine. An _angel _child, one with wings."

His heartbeat stuttered, but he kept his face casually uncaring.

"We had the genetic makeup prepared for the ultimate specimen ever, but there were others within our system who didn't want us to go through with the plans. They were _jealous_ that our branch had hatched this brilliant plan to create a being that would be the supreme model of human existence. Who has never dreamed of sailing the skies? But then our plan had a little wrench thrown in it when they stole our genetic blueprints. We feared that they would try to create our own angel child to use against us for evil, and scare the people away. We had to do something to protect ourselves.

"That's when we made you."

There was a long, painful pause in the small room. Fang felt as though all the air had been sucked out of that enclosed space; he could hardly breathe. What the Director was saying is absurd, and yet he can't help believing it to be true.

"There was a problem in your design, though. While we were able to create your body to be suitable for flying, we couldn't replicate wings properly. We spent your infant years trying to develop the perfect wings that would compliment your body, but when we heard no news of another angel child, we put the development on hold. Until we felt threatened, we decided to place you in a home so you can grow up _normally_," she spat the word out. "We needed you to be accustomed to other humans, so we sent you to live with one of our doctors."

His blood ran cold when she'd spoken the words. The pain that washed over him was far worse than anything physical she could unleash on him. His mother was one of _them._

For once, his carefully composed mask cracked.

She laughed bitterly. "Not at all like you expected, is it? I do feel sorry for you, that you had to endure such a horrible accident, but it never marred our plans for you, even when you managed to escape us all that time through the foster care system…"

Everything made sense. He always knew that there was something wrong with the families he had been placed with, and looking back he should have seen the similarities between all of them. Doctors, veterinarians, geneticists, pharmacists… they had all worked for Itex. They wanted to ensure that he was being watched until they needed him. The realizations made him feel a hatred he had never felt before blossom within his chest.

"Why'd you go through all the trouble of retrieving me?" he nearly shouted. It didn't matter if she slapped him again. He wanted answers.

"Honestly, we didn't start tracking you until you slipped away from our watchful eye. It was around the same time that we picked up activity from our rivals. When you moved in with your new family a few months ago, we worked feverishly to finish the design for your wings. And after several attempts to bring you back, we finally succeeded now."

He met her sharp gaze levelly, feeling his composure regain itself. "So, if you're on the good side, why didn't you ask if I wanted to join you from the start? Why didn't you brainwash me into following you?"

Of course she'd smacked him again, but he hardly felt its sting. He felt triumphant for seeing through her pretense. "We _are_ on the good side. The only reason we captured you was so that you wouldn't resist when we tried to reason with you. You've been exposed to far too much of the real world to see our logic behind what we do. Now, it is your time to be the ultimate child we'd meant for you to be. We want you to fulfill your destiny."

He raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't the original design be the ultimate? I thought I was version two."

She sniffed. "We doubt that one ever got started. And it doesn't matter… you are what we want."

Fang got a sudden feeling like they weren't alone anymore, but he didn't let his intuition show. Instead he decided to play the devil's advocate. "So let's just say that I want to be this _ultimate_ being. What's in it for me? Why would I suddenly decide to let you put wings on my back?"

"We already tried," she said reluctantly. "The power went out while we were prepping you. Our surgeons are on tight schedules and had to be flown in from across the country to perform the operation. They _were_ on time until the storm came in and delayed their exit. They stopped your anesthesia drip and brought you back to a room. We decided to let our team rest and hold it off until tomorrow."

Anesthesia. That would explain why he'd been so tired before.

He couldn't believe that they'd tried to implant them without his permission.

"And after that occurs…?"

She grinned, exposing perfectly straight, blindingly white teeth. "_Then_ we can continue in our quest to gain recognition within our field. If we can prove to the world that genetic engineering is the future, than you can be the father of a new generation."

He pretended to take her words seriously. After a moment, he decided to tell the Director exactly what he thought of her plan. "What the fuck? What kind of deranged person wants to experiment on innocent people just to gain power?"

Her expression changed from excited to murderous in an instant. She glared murderously at him and bent so low that he could smell her minty breath. "You have _no _choice in the matter. By tomorrow you'll be on our side whether you like it or not!"

He was tempted to say something caustically, like "use a tic tac", but another voice broke through their heated argument.

"There's one problem with your little scheme that you didn't consider."

His heart skipped a beat before racing rapidly in recognition. The Director whirled to face the intruder with a shocked expression.

"Who the hell are you?" she barked.

Max took one step toward her. "I'm the _original_ design."

* * *

**Slightly longer chapter than last time. Sorry for the wait but I've been busy with Nanowrimo (I reached 50,000 words, but I'm not even close to being done with my story). While I try to finish that, I want to get started with my Fanfics again. I really want this one done by Christmas. And if you forget something you can ask because I forget a lot of what I've already written, too. Check out the important new poll!!!**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	45. Not So Normal

**Chapter 42 – Not So Normal**

"I'm the _original_ design."

I was shocked by the situation I saw before me. Fang was kneeling on the floor, hands tied behind his back, and pink welts coloring his one cheek. The strangest feeling pounded in my chest at the sight of him, but I couldn't identify it. A blond haired woman was blocking my path to him. And she did _not _look happy by my intrusion.

Let me backtrack a little bit to get you caught up in how I reached this point. After I'd devised my brilliant plan in using the power outage as an escape, I saw an opportunity to search to building for signs of a surgery going. I hoped that it would delay the operation long enough for me to get to him before it had happened. The layout of the building didn't allow this easily. It took me ten minutes before I realized that I'd been running in circles for a while. This place wasn't made for unwanted guests — or rather, it was made exactly for that purpose. Fortunately my power helped me hide behind walls whenever I'd heard footsteps coming. I thought for sure that security cameras would have picked up on me, but after a while I was never followed by a bunch of Erasers.

It took almost an hour before I found the first sickeningly sterile room that was more than likely used for surgery, but no one was in there. It didn't seem to have been used in a while. Down the hall I saw a second OR, but that one only had a few stray people cleaning up supplies. My heart thudded at the sight and I hoped desperately that it hadn't been Fang who was just in there and that they hadn't completed the surgery. I only saw one other empty OR before I decided that they were probably the only ones in this facility.

The next step was searching for recovery rooms in case he had been in surgery, and I assumed that those would be fairly close to the OR's for easy transportation. I saw some acceptable locations but no one was in any of them. I was frustrated, but I kept looking.

Finally I stumbled upon two Erasers — one wolf and one rhino — who were talking about Subject 2075. They hadn't seen me yet, so I had to come up with a plan. I hid behind the walls until I got close enough to attack without them being able to do anything. Once I pounced, all they could do was turn to look at me in surprise. I smashed their heads together violently. Both dropped to the ground, unconscious.

A few minutes later I found Fang's room, which got me slightly peeved at his better accommodations than what they'd given me.

Back to the present: I felt adrenaline coursing through my veins as I glared down this woman. My arms were planted firmly on my waist to make myself look bigger. For a moment she looked shocked, before annoyance took over.

"Who _are _you?" she barked again, taking a step toward me. Like she could actually take me on.

I stood my ground. "I told you, I'm the original. Your first angel kid. The one made by the _others_. And I've come here to do exactly what they wanted me to do."

It took her a millisecond to digest this as she looked me over. Judging my age and appearance, I looked old enough to be the same age as Fang — for the record, I'm _older_ than him. And she must have assumed that since I have not been turned into dog chow yet that I might actually be a threat. Her eyes widened marginally in recognition.

I was tempted to draw out her torture, to find out why anyone would experiment on innocent children just to see if you could make them freaks, but she did something I didn't expect.

She pulled out a cell phone.

"Intruder alert!" she almost screamed to whomever she called on speed dial. "We've found _her—_" That was all she was able to get out before I tackled her. The phone went flying to the ground, a voice shouting from it. She gasped as we hit, but that was nothing compared to what was next for her. I punched her face back with a sickening crack. She grunted as her nose began to trickle blood. I should have been appalled by my sudden violent streak, but I was filled with too much hatred toward this woman who I didn't even know.

I knew I didn't have too much time before Erasers or the police or anything would show up, so once I thought that the woman was dealt with enough I threw myself at Fang. And no, it wasn't in an oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-you're-okay kind of way, but more of an oh-my-god-we-need-to-get-out-of-here kind of way. Sure, I was glad to see him, but surviving this hell hole was more important than having a mushy reunion. Besides, that's not my style.

The knot around his wrists was tight, so much that his finger tips were turning purple. I fumbled unsteadily for a second. My hands were shaking so badly I couldn't undo the rope until I calmed myself down. I could feel Fang's tenseness but at least he had the decency not to watch while I untied his hands. While the blond woman stumbled to her feet, I managed to release him.

I offered him a hand, which he gladly took. He seemed wobbly on his feet at first, but was able to get his bearings.

"Thanks," he whispered softly.

I felt the corner of my mouth quirk, but I can't risk being happy just yet.

We turned to face the woman, who was breathing heavily and had her arms spread out so wide that I thought she might start whirling them around like propellers. For all I knew she could fly out of this place by that means. Her face was in such a severe sneer that she hardly looked recognizable.

"_You_," she mustered, but I couldn't tell if she was addressing Fang or me, "are in _so _much trouble. You have no idea who you are messing with!"

"You're right," I said almost cheerily. "I don't know you. Maybe we should eat some tea and krimpets and get to know each other."

She turned her hate-filled, crazed eyes on me. "Stupid child, you think you're so funny. Guess who'll be laughing when you are forced to work alongside our cause—"

She didn't get to finish the rest of her sentence as I punched her so hard across the jaw that she fell to the floor in a heap. I must say that I felt a little proud, if not dominant. _No one _tells Max Ride what to do… except for my mom.

Thinking of her made me grit my teeth. That was going to be a bad reunion… if we even live long enough to go home. I look back at Fang and can see we're thinking the same thing.

We need to go.

We sprinted out of room with me leading the way. If either of us knew the place better, it was obviously me, but my mental map was seriously lacking. It really didn't matter though, because as soon as we headed down the hall a heard of Erasers — at least twenty of them — descended upon us.

I sputtered to a stop, unsure of where to go. Fang looked exhausted and we hadn't even begun to physically strain ourselves. I didn't know whether they'd completed the surgery or not, but from the looks of it they didn't start. At least that was one problem they managed to avoid. The Erasers were another thing.

How am I going to take on twenty Erasers when Fang wasn't even up to his normal speed?

The first thing that crossed my mind was running in the other direction. As I yanked Fang's hand the other way, I saw another pack of Erasers rush from the other side. Their animal-like laughter was daunting. Just as they were closing in I saw the next plan come into play. My only option was to take him with me _through the walls_.

Their ominous footsteps thundered through the suddenly crowded hall, almost reminding me of that time in school with Mr. Darnell. I suddenly wondered if any of these monsters were him. It was no wonder that I knew something was off with him to begin with. I braced myself and caught Fang's eye. He knew instantly what I wanted to do. We were both prepared to run, and the Erasers were so close—

A loud bang pierced the tense air.

For a moment we were all dumfounded by the out of place noise, and in the next second more rounds were fired. I suddenly realized that it was a gunshot. Oh, God. A _gun_? We were not going to make it.

Everyone — teenagers and Erasers included — turned toward the sound. Several Erasers were lying on the floor, not moving. A clear lane through the hulking bodies revealed the last person I expected to see at the other side. He was holding up a gun like he'd handled one before, which utterly surprised me. He wasn't my idea of Rambo.

Jeb caught my eye.

"You better go now," he said evenly. The Erasers suddenly realized that the man in the white lab coat was _not_ their friend, and they turned on him. Sudden panic tinged his voice. "Go _now_! I'll meet you outside!"

Despite my entire memory of Jeb being one of supreme horror, hatred, and resentment, it was hard to tear myself from his presence when I knew that he had come to my rescue. He'd taken me out of my cell which inadvertently led me to Fang. And now he had risked his own life just so we could escape. I wasn't sure what to call the emotion that flooded through me, but respect seemed to fit well enough. Part of me wanted to stay back here and help him, but the other part really wanted to get away. Reluctantly, but quickly, I pulled him into the wall.

We entered an empty cell. I really didn't feel like stopping but I thought that it was important. I looked at Fang seriously. "Do you think you can keep us invisible for a while?" I didn't want to deplete his energy, but it would help a lot if we wanted to escape.

He took a deep breath. "I think so."

I nodded and tightened my grip on his hand. Let me tell you, it was hard keeping the link when my hands were so sweaty. I wasn't sure if it were my nerves about our predicament or the fact that I was actually holding Fang's hand again. I'll think about the mushy stuff later on, though.

"Okay," I sighed.

After a moment, I could feel his energy coursing through me, and I knew we had a while before either one of us would tire out. If anything, I hoped he would wear out before I did — our stealth is less important that running into a wall.

I pulled us out of the cell. It was hard to ignore the mayhem that roared from the other side of that wall, but I trusted that Jeb would be smart enough to pick the right battles. Or have enough bullets to take care of himself.

We ran through the hall parallel to the one we had just been in. At first we didn't see anyone, but after several turns we saw the occasional white-coated person walking cautiously the other way. I was tempted to take them out, but I didn't feel like dealing with the trouble of knocking them unconscious or risking the chance that they would scream. No doubt there are others in this building that know that we aren't with the heard of Erasers anymore.

When Fang and I were alone again, I asked him, "Do you know what level we're on?" I realized just how important this was as we came across a set of stairs that led in both directions. Did we need to go up or down? How big was this place?

"We have to guess," he replied.

_Go down._

I froze at the sound of the Voice. I realized how empty my mind had seemed in the last couple hours since he'd spoken to me… which was when I was with Jeb. At least it was telling me something useful for once.

"Down," I said as I pulled him toward the descending staircase.

We ran as swiftly as possible, but as we reached the next floor we saw that it wasn't like the others. All the floors I had been on before were more like hospitals — white walls, medical supply rooms, with scientists running around busily. This floor was so much different than the others.

It was dark to begin with. Only overhanging lamps at intervals along the ceiling provided any light. It reminded me more of the cells they had kept me in before Jeb had taken me out. Rows of cages — like my mom's veterinary clinic — lined the walls on both sides. Inside, dark figures with light-reflecting eyes stared at us as if they could see us. The smell of feces and rotting flesh coated the air.

A chill passed through me.

"Holy shit," Fang whispered. He seemed just as shocked by the indecency as I had.

We broke apart for the moment to examine occupants of the cages. In the first one I came to, a snake was curled up in a tight coil. Instead of having the usual smooth skin, its outside layer was transparent; you could see into its internal organs. It was the most pitiful thing I had ever seen. Just below it a cat with overgrown fangs and patches of its fur missing looked at me curiously. I wanted to scratch its ears but I was afraid of getting bitten. These creatures were despicable. It was the worst thing I had ever seen in my life.

I wanted to kill whoever was responsible for the torture.

"I'll get you guys out," I said softly. And that was a promise. These creatures didn't deserve to be locked up in such a way. However, all the cages had solid-steel locks on them that could only be opened with a key.

I turned to Fang. "This is horrible."

He nodded, and I could read the sadness in his dark eyes. Whatever had happened to these poor animals, they didn't deserve it. The only thing they could look forward to in here was death. It would be an escape from whatever illness possessed them. Of course, if this was the best result of their research and development, what would that mean if they had put wings on us? I shuddered at the thought.

I sighed. "We should leave. Jeb might be waiting."

"Do you think there's an exit down this passage?"

"I don't know, but we have to keep moving."

We started down the hall, but a presence from behind told me that it wouldn't be so easy. The hair on the back of my neck prickled. We spun to face the last person I wanted to see.

Mr. Darnell.

He smiled at us, cynical yet demeaning. "You two always manage to put your noses in places where they don't belong. The only difference between school and now is that there is no one to protect you from dying."

My breath caught in my throat, but I hoped that my fear didn't show on my face.

I try to act pleasant. "It's so nice seeing you again."

Fang shot me a sour look.

Mr. Darnell was equally disgusted. "That was what got you in trouble back in Maryland. It's different here. If you had any bone of survival instincts in you you'd hold your mouth shut."

"And if you had any survival bones in you you'd be running with your tail between your legs."

Okay, so maybe he was right. I don't know the first step to keeping myself alive. That's why I ended up here in the first place. And it's exactly why Mr. Darnell was about ready to flip out at me. My comment instantly shifted him from a formal, handsome man in a business suit to a quivering, sneering, ire person who looked like he would explode at any instant. And I do mean that quite literally. The _explode_ part.

"You…" he garbled around suddenly enlarging canines, "you _bitch_."

"Oh, snappy comeback." His sentiment stung, but superiority was winning out over anything he could say against me. Now my advantage might be taken away if we get into a fight…

Fang shot me a look that said, _you idiot!_ But there were two of us and one oddly large wolf-man. And we were strong and agile. I think the odds are slightly in our favor.

That's when Fido tipped over the edge and transformed right in front of our eyes. His mouth and nose elongated to become a snout, his teeth tripled in size, fur ripped its way through the well-tailored suit to expose muscular arms. The claws that grew from his fingers looked sharp and lethal. And judging the enraged look in his eye, he wasn't going to take it easy on us.

With a huff of air, leaving a cloud of moisture hanging around his wolfy face, he charged toward us.

Fang's words made him pause long enough not to take a swipe at either one of us. "Careful, the Director may not want us killed. We're too valuable to them."

Darnell paused for a moment. "It doesn't matter what she wants. She's a blond bimbo who places too much faith in unsuccessful experiments. She doesn't realize that Erasers are enough to show humans that we are the future. No, she wants a pathetic _angel kid_ to do the work for her. You won't be like angels; you have _bird_ in you. That's all you'll be to people: pigeons or sparrows. You aren't human to begin with. People only listen to _force_.

"That's why Erasers are the ultimate. You're too fragile."

I assumed they were talking about the woman in Fang's cell. If she was the one responsible for us being freaks, then she was next on my hit list. First things first, we need to take out the dog (and yes, that was the worst pun possible in this situation).

Eraserfied Darnell charged at us. I stepped in front of Fang, hoping that he would see my plan, to distract the wolf. I braced myself. Of course, he passed right through me to an expectant Fang. In his confusion, Darnell got slugged in the gut by Fang and knocked on the ground with a blow to the back of his head from me. Recovering quickly, he rose back up to growl at both of us.

Fang jumped at him fast, getting into quick hand-to-hand combat with the wolf. Neither of them seemed to gain the upper hand. I tried to find a place to jump in, but the space around them was tight. Now the mutants within the cages roared in excitement. We had our own audience to witness a great victory or our demise. Either way, we were putting on a show.

I tried to chop at Darnell's kidney, but he read my move. One clawed hand grabbed my wrist before I could prepare to let him go through me. His other hand punched Fang in the face, causing him to stagger back. The wolf threw me to the ground. All the air in my lungs released in a _whoosh_.

Darnell grinned eerily at me and raised his large foot over my chest. When it was about to come down, an invisible force yanked the hair on his head backward. The wolf grumbled as he was tugged back, unsure of where Fang was. I scrambled up and darted toward them.

Using all his might, the invisible Fang slammed Darnell against the nearest wall. The mutants inside the nearest cages grumbled uneasily as the impact rattled the metal. Coming up, I held my hand on his throat.

He laughed breathily, although the sound was soft and labored. "You think you can win."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I _know_ we will win. You're outnumbered."

"Soon others will come." He sounded confident.

It hadn't crossed my mind before, but there had to be cameras in here, too. If security kept a tight rein on things, like the Director had proven, why hadn't anyone shown up yet to help? Why did no one come when I was running through the halls in search of Fang? It was like someone was helping us the entire time.

I didn't reveal my revelation to him, and I wouldn't have gotten the chance to. Mustering his strength, he elbowed both me and Fang off his back. Still invisible, Fang must have punched Darnell again as he shifted toward us. He ground his large teeth and charged forward. When he felt Fang's body, he grabbed it with all his might and slammed him on the ground repeatedly. After the second impact, his invisibility wore off.

"Fang!" I screamed as I saw the blood running down his face. I couldn't tell where the original wound came from, but it didn't look good.

All the ramped-up anger and bitterness I had experience today came rushing back. I'd been kidnapped from my own _home_, thrown into a cell like I was nothing, found out that I was made to have freaking _wings_, thought that Fang was in surgery only to discover that they were torturing him a different way, and these poor animals that were close to death because there were sick people in the world who thought it was okay to use them for their own advances.

And now this _dog_ thought that he could beat up on my best friend. That was _not_ going to happen.

I sprinted toward them and with all my might yanked the wolf's hands off of Fang. As he fell to the floor, I took Darnell's throat in my hands and tossed us both to the floor as fast and hard as possible. He was surprised by my sudden speed and strength as he hit the ground. I glared at him with as much venom and malice that was in me. I slammed his head against the floor, which made him cry out in pain.

For a moment, his panicked eyes almost had me stop. After all, he was a person, too. Right? Could he have been subject to cruel experimentations? Maybe he was an innocent bystander like the rest of us, like Fang and me. Like all these animals in the room. His hatred could have been the result of human involvement.

In the time I let myself feel sympathy for him, the lashed out with one hand to punch my stomach and the other trying to free his throat. I coughed raggedly. He freed himself for one moment, but it was too late. With everything I had in me, I grabbed his head and rammed it into a wall.

Eyes closed, he slumped to the ground without moving.

At the time I felt powerful, excited. I rose up to look at what I had just accomplished. An ordinary — well, not so normal, if you know what I mean — teenage girl was able to take out a mutant creature. But my excitement faded as I looked at Darnell longer.

He wasn't moving, and I couldn't tell if he was breathing. All in all, he didn't look like the vicious creature he once was. It frightened me.

Oh, God, did I kill him?

How could I live with myself if I killed him? I never liked the guy, but it wasn't in my nature to be violent — if you exclude my fistfights in middle school. I didn't like to harm people, but it was out of self defense. I had to protect Fang and myself.

From behind me, Fang groaned, and my attention shifted from my possible murder to him. A gash on his head was bleeding, and his eyes were a little vacant, but he seemed alright. I helped him up slowly, hoping more damage wasn't done to him. He half-smiled at me.

I tried to return his smile, but I couldn't. I felt too guilty about what I might have done.

"Let's get out of here," I said instead, and we hurried out as quickly as we could.

* * *

**Wow, I didn't expect this to be so long. I didn't feel like double checking for errors, so if there's anything wrong that's why. There are only five more chapters left in the story. *sighs* One more chapter, and then four epilogue chapters. I hope you guys have enjoyed so far! I'm just as excited for the sequel as I am for this one.**

**600 reviews on this one? The 600th gets a cookie!!  
--biteoutoflife--**


	46. Reminisce

**Chapter 43 - Reminisce**

I stared unseeingly out of the airplane window for an immeasurable amount of time. The flight wasn't supposed to be long — only a couple hours at the most — but with the amount I had to think about it felt like decades. We were sailing with dark clouds as a soft blanket around us. Supposedly a nice coating of snow was drifting from them, but we couldn't see any frozen fluffs from this high up.

To say that this flight home was awkward was an extreme understatement. We were in coach, the quickest seats that Jeb could buy once we hit the airport. Several people surrounded us, but since most were listening to music, reading books, or sleeping, the enclosed space was quiet. I had the window seat with Fang to my left, Jeb next to him. If there were any words that wanted to be shared between Fang and me, we couldn't speak them with Jeb there. Likewise, a conversation that I felt coming from Jeb also had to wait because of Fang. For the most part the silence was awkward, and I wished we could talk about _something_ that didn't have to deal with the horrors of what we had been through.

The Voice had been right while we were in the Itex building. The downstairs level that we were in during our faceoff with Mr. Darnell had been a floor that led to one exit. After taking several turns through the labyrinth-like halls we came out in a dark alleyway, somewhere in the heart of New York City. I was afraid that Jeb hadn't made it out, but soon he appeared from a different direction. At the time his face and clothes were scratched up. Luckily stores hadn't closed and we ran to the nearest building to buy new clothes so we wouldn't leave in filth.

After that, we assessed the damage on ourselves. I was okay, except for some bruises on my body. The extent of Jeb's injuries was just surface scratches on his face and arms. Fang made out the worst. He more than likely had a concussion and while the cut on his head had stopped bleeding, it will probably need stitches to close properly. We didn't feel like waiting in the Emergency Room all night, so we headed to the nearest airport thanks to a cab.

It was somewhere in the early morning now after you subtracted all the time we spent waiting at the airport for our plane. I was exhausted and wanted to sleep badly, except a fear in the back of my head kept me awake. It's hard to admit this, but I was afraid to close my eyes. I'd done it once, at the airport, and regretted it instantly. The images that appeared were the frightened eyes of the mutants and the limp body of Mr. Darnell. Since then I had been willing myself awake.

Just remembering what I had witnessed — and my possible committed murder — I let out a small shudder.

Fang was acute enough to my thoughts that he knew instantly what I was thinking about. He turned his head in my direction and gave me a smirk. It would have normally cheered me up, except that it didn't reach his eyes. I knew that he had some serious issues he was thinking about, too.

But you would be too if you found out that your entire life had been planned around a specific purpose that was unknown to you. In a sense, the same situation applied to me, but I had never realized any of it until that fateful day in September when Jeb came to my home. The difference was that Fang _knew_ that something was off and tried to change it, and yet he still never got complete control of his life. Even coming to my home was organized by Jeb. The only thing he could truly say was not planned was the death of his adopted mother, which in retrospect just downright sucked.

There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask him, and Jeb, too. I was hardly sure that this was the proper place to begin a conversation. Still, Fang knew that I wanted to have some alone time with Jeb — because who knew how much time we'll have alone back home. He smiled and wrapped one of his hands around my own and gave it a quick squeeze before rising.

"Excuse me," he mumbled. I watched his dark eyes look at me once more before he meandered out of the aisle toward the bathrooms.

That left me alone with Jeb. I gulped as he turned toward me. His face was unemotional yet stern as his brown eyes — a lot like my own — gazed into mine. It reminded me of my first day of high school just several months ago. I'm still as confused about him as I was that day, but my feelings toward him had changed somehow.

He watched me for a moment before speaking. "He's a good friend to you."

It took me a second to realize that he meant Fang. A sudden lump clogged my throat as I tried to answer him. "Yeah." I had to pause to cough. "He is."

"That was the reason I placed him with you, you know. I couldn't let him be exposed to the truth about his existence without knowing who he would have to fight against. Given the chance again, he'd chose you over them any time." His voice was a low whisper so that no one would overhear us, especially if they were pretending to sleep. Even here we can't be sure that we're completely safe.

I wondered about the extent of Jeb's knowledge of Fang's affection toward me. Heck, I didn't really even know how much he liked me. I thought we were just friends until he kissed me… I tried to stop that thought before Jeb could read it on my face. "I guess, but you know he might grow to resent it. Knowing that you set him up for that, I mean."

He smiled slyly and shook his head. "If he resented my decision, he would have tried to get out by now."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. "Jeb, let's stop with the evasions. What really happened back there? How comes the surg—" I paused by the look he shot me. "I mean, how comes _it_ didn't happen? Why was I able to get through the building so easily? Why did you come to my rescue if you work with them?"

"Max, I _don't_ work for them." His tone was patient, but at the same time I could hear the hurt in it. He knew that I still didn't completely trust him. "I haven't for about fifteen years, well; at least they didn't know that up until yesterday. I've always been around at several of the…locations to learn about what they were doing. In a way, I was like a spy.

"What happened was that the power outage was just enough to ruin a tightly scheduled plan made by the company. The storm delayed the flight of their special surgeons they were flying in, and therefore they had to take Fang out from under anesthesia before they gave him too much. This happened shortly after you left our conference room, so by the time you reached him he was already awake."

He stopped while the flight attendant came down the aisle. She offered us some drinks to which we both refused. We were close to landing anyway. When she walked by, he continued.

"I knew I had to help you quickly. You're too stubborn to take the easy way out, which is why you're perfect for the role you were designed for." I frowned at him, but he acted like I hadn't. I didn't like being referred to as an experiment. "I was able to take out the security guards at the central station before they could spot you."

I didn't want to think about his idea of _taking out_ security guards, but I was glad that he'd helped me. After all the years of resenting my father, I was feeling… not exactly happy, but maybe accepting of the unfortunate DNA relation between us.

Despite my suavity with words, I was suddenly at a loss of them. "Thanks," I managed to say. And I did mean it. We were going home because of Jeb. (As much as I hated to admit it, it was true).

His eyes turned contrary. "No, thank _you_, Max, for taking a risk for your friend. Not many people have the courage to stand up in the face of danger, but you rose to the occasion. Now that they know that you are in existence, their focus won't solely be directed on just Fang."

"How is that a good thing?"

"It's good because they will have to divide their attention. It's not just one experiment that they want, but two of them. They might double their efforts, but your alliance will make any attempt of theirs extremely difficult. The difference will be crucial." He paused, as if checking himself, before he continued. "I'm proud of you, Max."

I was choked up, even more so than before. It was unusual of him to share his feelings with me, even on a simpler level of pride. Anyone could say that. A teacher, mentor, friend. But hearing it from him, with the passion he placed behind it, felt off. And not wrong, but just different. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.

Fang returned then, to my great relief. He gave me a questioning look, to see how our conversation went, to which I responded with a slight smile. I hoped that it was enough to show him that we had a (sort of) good talk. Although I still had more questions I wanted to ask than answers received, I was willing to deal with what I was given. He nodded once and retook his seat.

The intercom clicked on and the voice of the flight attendant resounded over our sleepy bunk. "We are now descending in Baltimore. Please return to your seats and prepare for landing. Thank you for using our services."

There was an awkward silence after the announcement clicked off, to which I stared back out the window again. I watched as the little patches of what seemed to be random shapes clarified into recognizable figures, like buildings and farmlands. Once we hit the runway and came to a stop, I felt eyes watching me. When I looked back, Fang was staring at me with unreadable eyes.

I raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Nothing…" he hesitated.

"No, what did you want to say?"

He sighed in defeat, and I was glad to see that my reading-Fang's-thoughts skills were improving. "I'm glad to be coming home."

I smiled. That's probably the best thing he had ever said to me.

"Me, too."

* * *

**I am gonna be gone all weekend, so don't expect any updates until some time next week. I reviewed the last chapter and I saw the one mistake, but I also wanted to point out another mistake that I've fixed. Mr. Darnell said that Max lived in Virginia, when she lives in Maryland. Don't know if anyone caught that, but I thought I'd mention it. Only the Epilogue chapters left, so I'm really excited for that.**

**I'll respond to some of your reviews through PM soon, but I have to go study for my Economics test!  
--biteoutoflife--**


	47. Epilogue: Picking up the Pieces

**Epilogue:  
There's No Place like Home**

_Several Days Later_

**Chapter 44 – Picking up the Pieces**

**You are now reading Fang's Blog. Welcome!  
Today's Date: Not Soon Enough!  
You are visitor number: 132**

**Glad to be Home**

To anyone who takes their home for granted, this entry is dedicated to you. As you may recall, I've been in the foster care system since I was five-years-old. Let me tell you firsthand that it isn't a place where you ever want to end up at. Between the constant shuffling of homes, the lack of privacy, and no one to really get connected with, those of you who thrive on social interaction would probably go insane. Sure, there is always someone to talk to, some councilor always willing to be at your side, but it's the loneliest situation you can imagine.

So for nine years I've been in-and-out of foster homes or orphanages, and when I finally felt like there was no hope for me except to become a homeless eighteen-year-old (like they do to most kids at that age), I was given a last chance with a family that lived on a farm.

While I never expected much, this place ended up being the best home I could have ever been sent to. And with all the crap I've been dealt in the past, it's nice to have somewhere I can be comfortable in, people who I actually enjoy, and a room that I don't share with other kids. As a matter of fact, I just might be too comfortable here.

Now I'm not knocking on the system, because foster care has really helped change kids' lives, and maybe some families, too. While we're all waiting to be placed somewhere else, we hear of success stories that involve some of our friends. _Oh, Tommy got adopted… Susie loves her new home… Jimmy is going to college._Secretly we hope that we'll be the next one talked about, but while you try to be hopeful, the doubt usually overweighs it. Some of us have been in there too long to ever be hopeful. That's how I used to be.

I know what it's like to have a family and be around people who really care about me. It's only been four months, but I know that this is where I want to be. I want my story to be told to hundreds of other kids out there who think that no good could ever come from their situation. Those who are resentful of their parents for getting involved in something they shouldn't and end up getting placed in the system for it. My first advice to you guys is reach out to anyone you know like this. They're more common than you think. And maybe it's not just foster kids. There are others out there who have to live with siblings, grandparents, or some other relative when they'd rather be with their parents. It's important to help them out.

Secondly, get your parents involved. Some of you have the means to support foster kids and have never thought of doing so. It _is_ the holidays, and giving a kid a home could be the best thing they've ever received.

I'm not telling you guys that you have to foster a kid, but it helps to be aware of what others are going through. It can really change your perception of the world. And, in my case, I'm glad that someone wanted to get involved. I know I'm different because of it.

Learn about what you can do by clicking on the link on my sidebar.

-Fang, from somewhere along the east coast.

* * *

I logged off the internet as I felt his eyes on me. I peered over my shoulder to see Fang leaning against the wall, watching me carefully. He was in his normal garb of black jeans and a black shirt, but he'd been different the past few days since we'd arrived home. Not opener, but maybe less tense. I was pretty sure I was the only one who had noticed the change in him. And his blog entry made me understand why.

I smirked at him. "Emotional much?" I was referring to the blog, and he knew it. I couldn't resist the opportunity to rag him over something like this.

"It's the holidays," he said with a shrug. "Besides, I've decided something important."

"And that would be…?"

His eyes shone darkly for a moment. "If people got more involved with the foster system, we might see less of… _us_ being created."

My breath caught in my throat as he'd said that. In a strange way, I knew he was right. What would stop evil scientists from taking kids who had no family to go back to? They wouldn't be missed, and therefore it would give them a perverted sense of justification for their actions. It's amazing how you can twist morality when you want something bad enough.

However, it suddenly occurred to me that this had been the longest conversation we had since we'd came home.

When we were at the airport in Baltimore, it had been a waterwork of sorts. Mom and Ella were hysterical, but glad to see that we were all okay. For the moment I even forgot that I was supposed to be mad at my mom and hugged her for the longest time. The drive home was awkward, though. Jeb had taken his own car home, so it was just Mom, Ella, Fang, and I left to our own devices. But what were we supposed to talk about? _Oh, so, how did you manage _not _to become a freak with wings?_ That wouldn't go over very well.

Ella insisted to know what went on in New York — since she hadn't been there in a while — but I told her that we really weren't in the city enough to enjoy it. Sure, she knew that something awful had happened, but maybe she assumed we did some exploring after we had escaped.

Afterwards Mom had taken Fang to get examined by the doctor, who apparently loved the fact that he was still with us ― two visits in a couple months meant a good prospect for the future. Things between my mother and I were still strained; I really didn't want to talk to her about my outburst and she didn't want to mention her past with Itex. I knew we'd eventually get that worked out, but until then I couldn't completely trust her. I love her, but I can't look at her the same way.

Fang didn't have a concussion, but the gash on his head got infected from not having it taken care of sooner. He claimed that he didn't think the injury was that serious, but in reality Jeb didn't have any of his doctor supplies on him. After they treated the infection, they stitched the wound around his hairline. His entrance into the lobby showed the extent of our conversation in the past few days.

"I like the Frankenstein look," I said sarcastically, motioning to his stitches.

He shot me a dark look ― and an inappropriate finger ― for which he was reprimanded by my mother. I couldn't help but be bitchy toward him; my nerves were on edge and taking it out on others helped release some steam. But since then I really hadn't vented on him much. We hadn't talked until I read his blog, mostly because I didn't want to recall the horrors of the labs or Erasers or wings or anything. It was all enough to drive a girl insane.

And on top of that, I especially did not bring up the _incident_.

I think you know exactly what I was talking about. Not only did I not want to talk to Fang about what had happened in New York, I really didn't want to talk about what had happened in my very own ― well, now destroyed ― tree house. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I mean, I know that I liked the kiss, but it also made me antsy. Sometimes at night, while I was trying to sleep, I would remember the feel of his lips on mine without giving my mind permission to do so. It seemed that my subconscious enjoyed the kiss more so than I did. Or at least more than I'd admit to.

But as weeks passed, school returned, and farm work could not be ignored any longer, we seemed to heal into the sort of semblance of where our family used to be. I could hold a conversation with Mom or Fang without it being terribly awkward, no one would mention Itex ― while it was always in the back of our minds ― and life almost seemed to be _normal_. It seemed like nothing had changed from before, except that the memory of New York or Itex would never escape us.

At school, James had been adamant about knowing what had happened in New York. I spent most of my time filling him in on the info we'd collected about Itex and what we had witnessed firsthand. For the most part he was horrified, and yet the idea of biogenetics really intrigued him. With his scientific mind, I could easily see him working as a worker for Itex. Maybe he could even put wings on Fang and me. (Daily sarcasm, folks).

And whenever I thought that way, it always made me wonder what will be in store for us. Would I get wings? Should I? How will it affect my life and others' lives? I'm just a teenage girl from small town Maryland, and yet I was supposedly made to save the world. It seems weird, but in a way I wish I could bring some excitement to my now-boring life. Flying through the sky could be fun, once I got used to not imagining myself falling to the ground. But what else would that include? Would I be subject to running away my entire life from scientists who wanted to use me for their own agenda? That didn't seem like the life anyone should have.

And where do Fang and James fit into it? I knew now that Fang was created to be my enemy, and is now my ally before he could find out his fate, but what was James? He has powers like us, too, and the more I watched him the more I recognized the bird DNA similarities between him and us. Lanky, strong, light. How did he get involved in this mess of recombinant life forms? Were there others like us out there?

All these questions replayed in my mind continuously through the next few months, and before I knew it the greatest ―most horrible ― time of the year had come.

It was March 16th, and it's my birthday.

* * *

**Sorry for the chapter that only really provides questions, but I needed a filler. I actually wrote this on Friday (by some strange miracle) and today was the first real chance I got to look it over. Strange but true story: I was in Delaware this weekend, and when we were heading back to PA we passed through Maryland, and the part we went through looked exactly like the location I made Max live in. Mostly farms, intermittent homes, wide fields. I was really excited. :P**

**I forgot to mention this before, but congrats to Adonai63 for being the 600th reviewer!!! :) You get a cookie! Welcome to the dark side. Ha ha, anyway there are three more chapters that are all kind of fillers and will lead up to the next story. I promise there will be some goodies packed into it, but you need to be patient.**

**Off to... well, study for yet another test (this time it's on Macbeth),  
--biteoutoflife--**


	48. Epilogue: The Big 15

**Epilogue:  
**There's No Place Like Home

**Chapter 45 – The Big 1-5**

Birthdays.

What would normally be a joyous, eventful occasion for some was oddly lukewarm for me. I mean, I like gifts and all — and I especially enjoyed the cake — but my heart wasn't really into the celebration. There could have been several factors that added to my lack-of-enthusiasm, ranging from the constant concern over Erasers attacking our home at any moment, to the awkwardness between Fang and me, and even the fact that I still hadn't gotten on the best terms with Mom again. I suppose when you boil everything down, all these problems were generated from the same spot: Jeb.

Speaking of the devil, he called me bright and early this morning.

"Happy birthday, Max," he said after I'd just came in from farm duty. I was sweaty and mucky, and in desperate need of a shower. The last thing I wanted to deal with was him, even if I did respect him now.

"Yeah, yeah," I barked, imagining the horror fest at school. James promised me an especially interesting gift, which had me both intrigued and frightened. "If that's all you called to say I'll be on my way."

"Not so fast." He paused, as if considering whether he should say something. It had been three months since I'd spoken to him. I assumed his doctor life had kept him busy, which was fine by me. But I did miss Ari.

I waited for him to say something.

"Did you ever talk to your mother about… that night?" I knew what he was referring to, and thinking about it made me sigh. This was the last thing I wanted to deal with today.

"No, why?"

I could hear his shrug over the phone. "I would just consider you doing so. It's not like you to be distant with her, and it worries me. You need to forgive your mother."

Suddenly, I was irate. "Listen, Dr. Phil, when did you suddenly become a psychiatrist? I will deal with that on my own time." Fang, who was eating pancakes in the kitchen, looked at me questioningly, but my returning glare had his eyes quickly dart away. I almost felt bad for the look but he was another person I really wasn't in the mood to deal with. "Just…" My breath came out shakily. "Just forget about it, okay? I will _try_ to settle things, but I can't guarantee anything."

He consented. "Listen, Max, I want you to know that no matter what happens in the next year of your life, you can always trust me. Do you understand?"

For a moment I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to sneer, _Oh, now you act like the father you never were_. Part of me didn't want to get my hopes up on his promise. I was skeptical as I answered. "Yeah, sure."

"I know you may not understand now," he said with clear disappointment toward my reaction, "but everything will be clear soon. I have a feeling that in this next year of your life things will change. Big time."

And my gut is telling me the same thing. But I wasn't going to let him know that I actually agreed with him. "Well, I need to get ready for school…" I hedged, hoping he caught my drift.

"Oh, right. Well, happy birthday again, and Ari sends his love, too."

We say our goodbyes and the phone clicks off. Despite being the big 1-5, I didn't really feel older. I felt ancient, like I'd been to hell and back. And somehow wiser, too. And right now my new instinct was telling me that Jeb's call was a horrible, horrible omen.

What will change in the next year of my life?

* * *

I unwrapped brightly colored paper from a firm, hard rectangle. James was sitting across from me in the hallway, watching me with an anticipated grin. I still wasn't sure what was inside. The gift felt hard and had some weight to it. Perhaps an exploding stink bomb? Maybe he placed a severed head in a box, as disturbing as that may be. (Hey, I've seen the Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a definite possibility!)

What it was surprised me.

"A brick?" I asked, confused. And somewhat disappointed.

James busted into laughter, cackling like a maniac. After I shot him a disapproving glare — and a smack on the side of the head — he produced a small bag from behind him. "Hey, it was a joke. Lighten up a bit, Max. You've been too tense since Christmas break. C'mon, it's your birthday!"

I cautiously took the bag from his hand, suddenly wary of what new prank he had in store. Reaching inside, I feel a mass of tissue paper and a clump of something I couldn't identify. It was solid yet soft. After I peeled away the layers, I was greeted by a medical-approved, squishy stress ball. It was so ironically perfect that I let out a cynical laugh.

"Do you love it or what?" he asked expectantly.

This time I laughed more naturally. "Of course I do. It's… oddly appropriate."

"I figured it was perfect… and I'm on a limited budget. You know, after my parents grounded me last month they reduced my allowance."

I wasn't ready to retell the events that lead to his grounding. I'm sure you have enough of an imagination to come up with some wild scheme of his. "Well, I'm sure this will get tons of use." I squeezed the stress ball and enjoyed the feeling of taking out my frustration on something that was made for that purpose. Although I didn't mind punching a couple of stuffed Erasers either.

"I wish I could have been there to fight those Erasers," he added with a sigh, reading my mind in a Fang-like manner. "That would have been the highlight of my life."

I thought for a moment, recalling Jeb's conversation. "Knowing my luck, it won't be long before they show up again. And this time it's not just Fang they're after; they want me, too."

"And it's all because of the wing-thing, right?"

When Fang and I had first returned home, I filled in James on everything that had happened while we were in New York. He was excited about the whole human-turning-into-wolves thing, and he was just as thrilled about the idea of Fang and I being created to have wings. He may be a future crazy scientist, but at least he had enough decency to be appalled by the treatment of those mutants we'd seen in cages.

"Yeah. Somehow they thought that giving us wings would make us greater than all the other humans and they would use us to take over the world or some sort of stereotypical evil scientist scheme. Can't they get more original?"

We laughed just as the bell for first period rang. I rolled my eyes and gathered my stress ball and brick. Leave it to James to do the unorthodox. As I scrambled through the hall, James yelled after me, "Happy Birthday, Old Fart!"

Apparently others were taking notice, too.

* * *

Later that night, while slaving over a horrible Algebra problem set — and desperately wanting to go to bed — Ella bounded into my room with a wide grin spread across her face. "Come downstairs! Mom made your favorite meal for dinner."

I growled under my breath, frustrated that my answers weren't matching any of the multiple choice options. I shoved the papers aside and got to my feet. "Okay," I sighed.

She frowned. "You're such a downer. It's no wonder you're sprouting some gray hairs."

"I am not." I couldn't help but run my fingers reflexively through my hair anyway. My stress wasn't really escaping anyone at this point. A teacher asked me in front of the whole class if anything was bothering me, leaving me glaring at her furiously and completely embarrassed.

We headed out of my room. Just as promised, I instantly smelled the glorious aroma of fabulous Mexican cooking, as well as a sweeter scent — chocolate. My mouth watered immediately. Sitting on the kitchen table as I came downstairs was a rich chocolate cake surrounded by cookies. Nothing gets to me more than my mother's famous chocolate-chip cookies. I swear that just at the mention of them my stomach could be heard growling in China. My fingers tiptoed across the tabletop and climbed up the mountain of cookies that were baked for _moi_.

A hand swatted at mine before I could snag a cookie.

"Save them for after dinner," Mom warned with a smile. "They should still be warm until then."

I grudgingly sat down at a chair. I suppose you can't rush greatness, even if was my birthday. So much for that whole your-dreams-will-come-true crap. All I want is a cookie.

Mom served food to the four of us. Dinner was a quiet event, what with the awkwardness between me and Fang, me and my mom, and me just not being in a cheery mood. Luckily the food was spicy and yummy, which always made me feel better. I ate quickly just to get to the sweets lined up for me. And after a rousing rendition of the happy birthday song, I finally got to savor Mom's cookies.

Mmm. Delicious.

"You can open your presents now," Mom said as we were all munching happily on cake. She handed me a long box, to which I opened resignedly. I was a hard person to shop for which, frankly, made my presents suck. While I liked getting presents, anything I did end up receiving had some practical value placed with it. I believed passionately that there is nothing worse than a practical gift. It meant you had no personality.

Big surprise, it was a box. When I pealed off the lid, my eyes widened like a kid in a candy store. Well, it _was_ a practical gift, but this was something I would actually use. They were leather, fitted riding boots. The official, custom made, extremely expensive kind. I didn't want to think how much mom had spent for them, but my old ones were on their death bed.

"Thanks." She smiled at the comment, mostly because she knew that I meant it.

"Me next!" Ella volunteered as she handed me a bag similar to the one James had given me. When I reached inside and pulled out the lucky prize, it was a cylindrical container. The label dubbed it as a deep-conditioning hand lotion.

"You said you needed something for your hands during the winter. You know, since they get all dry and cracked from working in the cold."

She was right; I did mention hand lotion. Still, practicality was annoying.

"Thank you," I managed with a fake smile. I think she bought it.

Fang had been so silent the entire evening that I almost forgot he was here. I said _almost_ because, even though he never said anything, I was totally hyper aware of him being in the room. It was pathetic how I could never be fully free of him anymore.

He held out a packaged wrapper that looked like a big piece of candy. "Happy birthday."

I untied a string holding it at one end. I hadn't told him to buy me anything, but no doubt Mom had made him get something. Then again, I would have known about that. Or at least I thought I would have caught on to a conspired trip to the mall. We hadn't been there as a group since… at least not since before Christmas vacation. So I had no clue what he could have gotten me.

When I pulled away the tissue paper covering it, I couldn't help but stare for a couple moments.

"I kept my promise," he said softly. "It was a project for art class. I thought you might like it, even if it's a bit ironic."

I used my fingers to spread it out as far as I could. It was a bracelet. The band was made of fine Indian leather, wrapped around several times and chorded with thick beads. In the center of the bracelet dangled a couple small, black feathers. Ironic, indeed, but I could tell it was made with care. And it wasn't too girly to keep me from wearing it.

"You like it?"

"This is amazing," I whispered. I looked into his dark eyes and grinned. "Thanks." And before I could stop myself, I jumped out of my chair and hugged him. It was quick enough not to draw unwanted and unnecessary attention from Mom or Ella, but not long enough for him to hug me back. He seemed surprised that I'd actually liked his work — or maybe just shocked that I'd hugged him.

I spoke before there could be an awkward silence. "Thanks again, everyone."

Well, at least this day hadn't blown up on me. I supposed I could have been attacked by more Erasers or something. At least I got to spend my birthday with my family, instead of in a cage with other creepy experiments. I couldn't begin to imagine how awful it would have been to have been raised in a lab with the only human interaction I'd experience was with scientists. Who could have grown up like that?

But right now, only one thing seemed important.

"Let's finish these cookies." All of us laughed in agreement.

* * *

**I'm sorry it took me this long to update, and that the quality of this chapter isn't the greatest. I've been having some writer's block. So there are only two more chapters left, and from now on updates will probably be more infrequent. But reviews make me happy. :) In the mean time, check out a new story I'm working on. It's a parody of Vampire Kisses, and you don't need to know the story to understand the parody.**

**Happy New Year's Eve! Watch the Winter Classic tomorrow!! Go Flyers!!!!! :D :D :D  
--biteoutoflife--**


	49. Epilogue: Vacation Dilemma

**Epilogue:**

There's No Place Like Home

**Chapter 46 – Vacation Dilemma**

This has easily been one of the toughest weeks I have had to deal with in my life. You go through so much to prepare, and yet when the day arrives you feel like all your work was for nothing. And I'd been through _a lot_ this year. This was by far one of my most nerve-wracking experiences — even beating out fighting Erasers, which I never thought could have been topped.

And the scariest thing is that this is totally unrelated to anything that has happened to me this year.

For those of you who are confused, it is June, and it was the last week of school. All seniors have been gone for a couple weeks (off to some fabulous senior getaway at Myrtle beach, lucky devils). And for the rest of us unlucky students, it was finals week.

I spent all week studying with Fang, but it didn't help that I couldn't completely focus on school work. Even though it had been months since I'd seen a white lab coat or an Eraser, I couldn't help but think one was creeping up around the corner and was on the verge of attacking. It also wasn't good that Ella had already gotten out of school and spent entire evenings ragging me about the fact. This whole week had left me exhausted and feeling really old. I just wanted it all to end.

So I'd struggled through seven strenuous finals and now I was finally free! I survived my first year of high school! (Though I know some of you out there are still wondering how I've managed to live this long. To be honest, I'm still wondering, too). And best of all, I was fairly certain I passed all my exams.

I exited through the giant double doors into the front lawn, a giant grin on my face. This was what freedom felt like — knowing that you had three months all to yourself to do absolutely nothing except go on vacation and ride my horse. And to think, I only have to go through this three more times. Ugh.

Fang was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, a dark shadow against the bright June day. He watched as I descended the staircase of hallowed learning. I smirked at him.

"Ah, isn't today such a perfect day?" I asked.

"Happy, much?"

"You mean you aren't?"

He rolled his eyes.

We wandered toward the bus, the first real retreat into sacred summer vacation. "How did you do on your finals?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "Well enough. You?"

I smiled. "I'm pretty sure I aced my Algebra final, thanks to _you_." We'd spent several nights prepping for math, mostly because I thought the teacher had been speaking in Chinese all year long. Fang showed me how to do everything I needed for the exam, and luckily it had finally sunk in. Who knew math could be easy once you understood it?

"Good."

"That's it? I mean, I know you're mister dark and silent and all, but aren't you at least remotely excited about getting out of school?"

He shrugged again. "I guess I've been thinking a lot lately."

"And this is any different for you how?"

"Well I wanted to —" He was going to say more, but as we stepped unto the bus of excited high school students, I figured that it was something he would have rather kept between the two of us. However, he did surprise me by taking a seat next to me. Usually Ella would have prevented him from doing so. I felt a little awkward being so close to him, but I'd been trying to blot _the kiss_ from my memory. That stupid, electrifying, extra stupid kiss.

This bus ride home was much like the first one I'd taken to school back in September. I watched the passing scenery of farmland, endless plains of grass with grazing animals. It seemed so normal, and yet everything had changed.

It was strange how much I'd changed since then. For once my abnormal ways had an explanation (sort of). I was _created_ to be something bigger than anyone could have imagined. I'd been given powers that would set me apart, to accompany what my nature was supposed to be like. Why those whacko scientists had chosen us to be bird kids I will never understand, but at least we'll be more graceful than Erasers. And I will definitely never understand how we're supposed to become these freak-creatures of modern science (wings included).

When we arrived at our stop, I nearly jumped for joy. I wasn't even sure what I would do first; I could go over to Monique's house, Ella's friend from our barn, who has a swimming pool, or maybe I'll just lie under the air conditioning.

Fang and I stepped off the bus and walked up the driveway toward our house. I was caught slightly off guard to see Mom's car parked in the driveway, but then I'd figured she would be on lunch break right about now. For finals we had half days. I entered the front door.

"Mom?" I called.

She emerged from the kitchen with a huge smile. "Max! Honey, you're officially a sophomore!" She hugged me tightly.

"There's still time to fail!" Ella wailed helpfully from upstairs.

Mom rolled her eyes and held me at a distance. "So, how'd it go? The last two weren't too hard, were they?"

"No, they were probably the easiest ones I took all week."

"Well, I'm proud of you. This is just one more step towards college."

"Ugh, Mom!" I complained as she hugged me again, but I couldn't help but laugh.

"And I'm proud of you, too, Fang," she said to him. He'd quietly slipped into the kitchen during my exchange with Mom and came out for the moment with a sandwich. "I wasn't sure how having a teenage boy in the house with two daughters would turn out, but ended out okay."

"Just okay?" he joked.

"More than okay," she giggled.

"Okay, let's not get too gushy. I don't want my vacation to get ruined already," I interrupted.

"And speaking of vacation," Mom mused, "we need to discuss where we want to go this summer."

"I want to go somewhere warm, like Florida," I said.

"Yeah, let's go to Disney World!" Ella added as she came bounding down the stairs. "Monique says it's so wonderful there!"

"I was thinking Washington D.C." Fang suggested coolly.

We three women turned to him with looks that questioned his sanity. He shot us a look that dared us to defy his judgment. "What? I've been looking through some of our articles on Itex recently, and I've seen that they have a lab in D.C. Why not go there for some fun and check things out while we're at it?"

I saw the logic in his plan, but there were two people who didn't understand.

"Ew, why would we want to do that?" Ella sputtered.

"No, Fang, it's too dangerous," Mom warned. "The last thing I want happening on a family vacation is either of you," — she was looking at both him and me —"to get hurt. You're looking for a suicide mission by walking right into their midst."

"I didn't say we had to go _inside_ their office, just ask questions. Find out some info on it. By the time anyone on the inside picks up that people are curious, we'll be gone from our 'family vacation.'"

"Absolutely no."

"_Mom_," I whined. "He has a good plan. Aren't you the least bit curious about what Itex has in store for us?"

"I _knew_ what they had in store for you, but that was fifteen years ago. Their plans have changed a lot since then, and rightly so. Now that they've seen successful signs of genetically enhanced powers in both of you, they must be planning something else. There's no way they'll let either of you escape from their cause without a fight."

"Which is exactly why we should try to figure out what they want."

She sighed. "Look, I have some connections with people I used to work with at Itex. Maybe one of them will have insight on the current Itex. I'll call around, but I don't want either of you even thinking about going to D.C., okay? Or any other city that is home to an Itex institution. Comprende?"

I nodded, and Fang looked at her darkly. Neither of us said anything.

"Well, Florida still seems good to me," Ella said perkily.

* * *

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

It was later that night. Mom and Ella were both asleep, but I knew Fang would still be up. I could always count on him when I wanted to talk. I peered in through his door to see him sitting on his bed, swiftly clicking away at the keys of his laptop.

I smirked. "Updating your blog?"

"What else?" He had a way of smirking that made my attempt look amature.

He closed the computer screen. "What's up?"

I closed the door behind me, but didn't get closer. "Was that all you'd been thinking about lately? Going to D.C. to check out Itex?"

"The bulk of my thoughts, why? Is this all you really wanted to talk about?" I could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"Well, no. I mean, that's part of it. On the way home today I was just thinking wondering about our changes this past year, why it happened to us. You know?"

"Max, there are always things we can never understand. We just have to work with what we've been given."

"That's easy for you to say. You've been through so many situations like jumping from home to home, having your mother die-" I could tell I hit a nerve as he glowered -"and everything that's happened recently. It's so freguent that it's become you're mantra. _Work with what you've been given_ my butt. Don't you want justice? Haven't you ever questioned why it's happened to you?"

"Which part? The being an orphan part or being a freaky mutant?"

I grimaced. "Both, I guess."

"Well, of course I think about it. I don't think it's fair, obviously, but I guess I'm better groomed to handle it. If there is a God in this world, I guess He figured that I was suited to go through this kind of thing. He knew you were strong enough to handle it, too."

How he made me smile just now, I wasn't sure. But that's the way Fang operates.

"You always seem to know what to say," I said a bit begrudgingly.

"I'm just _that_ cool. I have a way with words."

We laughed, but the moment was interrupted by me yawning. Fang got out of bed and sauntered toward me. He was several inches taller than me, which was still irritating. I'd been taller than most of the guys in my grade for a while, but this year they'd been catching up. Having to look up into his dark eyes made me feel inferior to him.

He stopped inches from me. "Look, Max, I know things have been hard for a while. And the reason behind everything may not be clear, but I want you to know that I'm always there for you. Any time it seems like too much, I've got your back."

And of course that's when he closed the distance between us to press his lips to mine. I should have seen it coming. God, I'm such an _idiot_! But, oh gosh, I had to admit it felt pretty good.

The kiss wasn't long, but when he pulled back I was breathless (probably because I hadn't breathed the whole time). Fang looked a little flushed himself, like he'd been blushing because of his actions. He chuckled awkwardly. "I know that makes you uncomfortable, but I couldn't help it."

I sighed. It was hard to deny that Fang had feelings for me, but it was even harder to deny that I'd liked it. I wasn't sure I would ever figure out how I felt about him. "Fang, I know you like me but… but I'd prefer if you didn't do that. I'm just not sure what I'm feeling right now, and having you kissing me really doesn't help. And since I can't tell your intentions, I just… I just don't know. Does that make sense?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I understand," he sighed. I wasn't sure, but I thought he sounded disappointed. "I don't want to push you."

I tried to smile, but it was hard. "Thanks for understanding."

His lips were pursed as he thought of what to say. But all he ended up mentioning was, "Go to bed. Your vacation has hardly started and you're already worrying about the wrong things."

* * *

**Sooooo, it's been too long. Much longer than I'm comfortable with. I'm keeping this short, mostly because I really want to write the next (and final) chapter so I plan on finishing this story very shortly, and I apologize for the long wait. I've been stressed lately, what with college stuff and school work and everything, but I'm making up for it. And once this is done, I'll post a new MR story I'm working on (as well as work on my other unfinished ones). You can see a small excerpt on my profile, so take a look and tell me what you think!**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	50. Epilogue: The Quest for Truth

**Chapter 47 – The Quest for Truth**

Before you begin questioning why I'm on a bus right now, let me start off by saying that we hadn't reached a decision on our vacation dilemma. Or rather, we hadn't set a date for it yet. Florida was still option numero uno in the Martinez home. But this bus has nothing to do with the sunny beach state. It actually meant something horrible in my book. Or something that used to be the cause of horror.

Since Fang couldn't convince Mom to allow us to go to D.C., he (as well as myself) still had many questions regarding Itex. And with all other options eliminated — sans running away from home — we were headed the next best thing: Jeb's house.

And by some strange, weird cosmic realining I kind of thought it was a good idea.

(Insert horrified gasp here).

Mom, being pleased that Fang had let up on the D.C. idea, called Jeb as soon as Fang had made the suggestion. Of course Jeb was more than happy to oblige, seeing as he hadn't seen us since New York. And once the call was made, Mom purchased the bus tickets that would take us to his town one hour away. And surprisingly enough she trusted us enough to go on our own. Not that I was complaining; I still wasn't sure how much I could trust my mom after that whole Fang-running-away-revealing-her-past ordeal.

So that basically set the scene. Fang and I, on our way to Jeb's, to learn more about our purpose and design. I didn't expect to get too many answers, but surprisingly Fang was more optimistic. He trusted Jeb for some unfathomable reason. And I think he suspected that Jeb was our ally since he helped us in New York. And what was even creepier was that I was starting to believe that, too.

The father I never wanted, or maybe the one I wanted to get away from, was easily the most confusing person in the whole universe to me. Even more puzzling than Fang. He'd always been the guy who would never be there for my finer moments, always annoyed me to no end. I suppose dad's everywhere act like that, though. For a while I questioned his motives, even assumed the possibility of him being an America's Most Wanted stalker, but after New York I didn't know what to think. He'd helped both Fang and me. When we were cornered, he'd fought Erasers to help us escape. And he even escorted us back to Maryland. If that wasn't someone who was on our side, then this is the best cover-up Itex could have imagined.

I leaned my head against the bus window and closed my eyes.

How easy it would be to forget everything we've been through! If I had the option, I would check out of this insane life and do something on my own. If I didn't have a strange conviction that there was something greater to come, I would probably hide under a rock until this whole genetic war had ended. Then again, is it ever my style to run away?

_That's right, Max,_ the Voice helpfully injected. _You need to take everything in stride. Accept your responsibility._

_Um, yeah, when am I supposed to learn about said responsibility? I have a schedule and stuff that I just can't set aside._

I thought I heard it sigh. _You need to set your priorities. Saving the world is more _important_ than your petty cares. You have to open yourself up and the truth will come to you._

_Thanks._ I really wasn't in the mood to deal with the Voice anymore.

I looked toward Fang, who was sitting next to me with his eyes closed. A bag with his computer and a notepad sat on his lap. I poked his arm. "And you brought me along because…?" I tried to play the devil's advocate; I didn't want him knowing that I was just as excited as he was. Okay, maybe not as excited, but I was (sort of) looking forward to it.

He opened one eye in a slit, looking like a snake. "Because you need this information just as much as I do. Actually, you need it _more_. I'm merely curious; you have a destiny you need to fulfill."

Sometimes he had a startling resemblance to the Voice.

My annoyance was piqued as we stopped behind a long row of vehicles. "Why did we have to hit traffic? This is the summer; haven't people heard of taking bikes?"

"Relax. Even with traffic we'll be there in fifteen minutes, tops."

Jeb lived in an area where tons of commuters came to work. I thought it wouldn't take this long, but then again I'd never paid him a visit during commuting hours. Being on a bus with a bunch of tired, irritated businessmen heading to work wasn't ideal.

"Hmm…" I watched as the slowly moving vehicles passed away to allow a couple of police cars through. "Wonder where they're going?"

"Dunkin' Donuts," Fang said confidently, causing the two of us to laugh hysterically.

It wasn't until twenty minutes later that we pulled into the appropriate bus stop. We followed the slowly moving line out of the commercial bus and made our way to the roads. Jeb's house was about a ten minute walk from here, located in a ritzy region for those higher up in life. It bothers me to think that I could have been living in a mansion instead of a farm. But instead of being an ideal family in a giant house, Jeb and Ari lived in an expensive-looking Mod, one-story home.

Once we set off, I had to talk to relieve my anxiety. "Do you think we're really going to get the answers we want?"

"I think he wants to help us, but he can't disclose any information directly. If we imply specific details, he can tell us what we want to know creatively."

"Really?"

He shrugged. "Your dad is weird, definitely, but he wouldn't have helped us before if he wasn't on our side."

"Well, I'll give you that one. But what specifically are you going to 'imply'?"

"I haven't decided yet. I was going to see where small talk hade taken us and then build a plan from there." We turned the corner from a shopping outlet to a line of trees heading toward the area where Jeb lived.

A couple minutes later we were approaching the eerily quiet home. I wouldn't say this was like a scene from a horror movie, where the ominous music starts playing and you know that you're walking into danger. But I knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong. My senses were screaming at me to run, but I knew I couldn't.

Fang was just as twitchy as I was. "You feel it, too?" he asked.

I couldn't speak around the lump in my throat, so I nodded.

I tip-toed to the front door and was shocked to see that it was left ajar. My heart beats crept to an even higher level than normal. So some of you out there are probably smacking your head, mutturing to yourselves, "Max, you idiot, you should have seen this coming." Well, yeah, maybe I should have. I'd been so paranoid I _should_ have known that something horrible would happen. But noooo, stupid Max falls into stupid trap.

In a moment's notice I pause before entering.

Fang raises an eyebrow at me. "What? You're chickening out?"

It took a lot of restraint to keep from smacking him. "I just... I don't know if I want to see what's inside."

I could see him contemplating some snide remark, but he dropped it. Before I could stop him, he pushed past me inside. This ultimately had the effect he wanted since I followed him into the swanky house.

I must say, for all the weird vibes I'd been getting, I was surprised to see the actual home looking completely undisturbed. Everything was in very similar order to when we'd been here for Thanksgiving. It looked modern and stunning, but somehow unhomely. It was a little unnerving.

He wandered idly around the rooms, checking for anything out of the ordinary. I mostly just stood in a tense, shaking state of unease. I didn't like being in this place alone (and I mean without adult supervision).

Sirens wailed nearby.

Catching my attention, I bolted to a window and peered through to the driveway.

My mouth nearly fell to the floor. Two police cars, lights flashing, came roaring up the road toward this house. Once they were close enough, the officers emerged to survey the surroudnings.

Fang came up behind me. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

"Max, wait!" he called, but I was already running. He hung back as made my way outside and approached the men.

They acknowledged me with an odd look. "Miss, is this your house?" the taller one asked seriously.

I shook my head. "No, but it is my dad's. What's going on?"

By my panicked expression, they seemed to debate whether to share the information with me. After a long pause, the other officer said methodically, "The 911 dispatch received a call shortly ago. We came, even though the nature of the call was never clear. All we were able to pick up was a voice asking for help…" His voice trailed off, as if he suspected foul play to be involved. Or a stupid prank.

"What? I talked to my dad, like, and hour and a half ago. He was expecting our arrival —" I looked back but Fang was no where to be seen. So much for always having my back.

The two eyed me again with a strange look. "Um, well, if what you're saying is true, then we'll need you to stay to file a report."

A helicopter flew overhead.

"Um…" I debated, feeling very distraught suddenly.

Fang appeared in the doorway, outside of the officers' view. "RUN," he mouthed.

I didn't need another warning. I bolted down the driveway, followed by an invisible Fang. Angered shouts rang from behind me, but I knew I couldn't stay. This place felt very off. Very wrong. Something had happened between Mom's call and now.

When we were out of sight, Fang reappeared, nearly making me pee my pants. "Ah!" I half-shouted.

He rolled his eyes. "I checked out the rest of the house as quickly as I could. Everything looked normal except for Jeb's office. It was trashed. And all of his records on Itex were missing. Then there was a note..." He drifted off.

I gritted my teeth. My mind put two and two together quickly. The horrible conclusion came to me. "Jeb and Ari…" I couldn't even finish.

Fang met my eyes fiercely. "They're gone."

* * *

**To be continued...**

**For the record, I have started writing for the sequel, but I'm not sure when I'll start posting it. I want to get a few chapters ahead so I can have more timely posting. (The sequel will be called "Anything But Easy"). And I might start with some new stories I've been throwing around in my head, or finish some of my other stories first. I don't know; I'll post a poll or something. A big thanks to everyone who has stuck through this story from the beginning!! :) And tell everyone you know to read "Not So Normal"!!!**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	51. The Final Note

**The Final Note:**

**Hey guys, biteoutoflife here.**

**I wanted to thank everyone who has faithfully read "Not So Normal", and those of you who are new on the ride. Your reviews mean a lot to me. It took me way too long, but I'm glad to have finally gotten it done.**

**So some of you wanted me to post an author's note here for when the next story is out, and I have written to say that indeed "Anything but Easy" is here! :) So please check it out and review.**

**I would have posted this sooner, but this last week has been really strange. I've been on crutches for the past few days (stupid sprained ankle, stupid bumpy soccer field) but hopefully the doc says I won't need to use them anymore. I'm so tired of people at school making fun on me, and I really want to chase after them with my crutches and beat them to a pulp. Ha-ha, just kidding, I'm not a violent person — I promise. :P Anyway... this week there won't be too many updates. All my soccer games are on the road, and then I have this whole college decision thing to work out. May 1st is next week, and I'm still undecided. (Or rather my parents are undecided; I know exactly where I want to go and I got a good scholarship from them, too). This is going to be the cause of many panic attacks and arguments for the next seven days, so bear with me. After then I **_**might**_** tell you where I'm going, or I might not, depending on privacy issues, blah blah blah. **

**Oh, and to give you a heads up on my future calendar (not that you really care, but it affects updates), my finals are from May 26-28, and on the 29 I'm leaving to Florida (ew, the sun… ugh, I need to buy SPF 100) and won't be back until June 5. Within May, I might be going to a concert on the 7****th**** (DEMON HUNTER BABY!!!) and my school banquet on the 15****th**** (if my parents will buy me a dress, if not then I'll be spending that Saturday alone). So those are other possible days that will get crossed off.**

**That's it, I guess. Read the sequel, watch out for new stories.**

**--biteoutoflife--**


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